Fourth Floor Escape
by mellysaurus
Summary: The war against Voldemort has been raging for four years. The Order of the Phoenix has an army dedicated to taking down the Dark Lord and his following. Hermione Granger was cursed in battle and is now confined to The Order's HQ.When a certain Death Eater arrives claiming that his allegiance has changed, the life Hermione thought she knew is turned upside down. AU. DRAMIONE.
1. October 2002

**A/N: Hello there, I am back.**

 **Most of this story has been pre-written so updates will hopefully be quick. I have very much enjoyed writing this one and I'm very excited to be publishing writing after a very long break away. I hope that you guys enjoy reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER. THAT HONOUR GOES TO JK ROWLING.**

 **Read, review and enjoy?**

* * *

 **October 2002:**

 **War rages on for a fourth year. Will it ever end?**

Hermione Granger threw aside the copy of daily prophet that she had in her hands after picking it up from the coffee table in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place, the house that was once her escape but had since become her prison. She was painfully aware of how long the war and the fact that it seemed to never end or even ease.

She made her way over to her favourite arm chair and sat down, she tucked her legs up towards her body and rested her head on her knees. From where she sat, she had a clear view of the street outside. It was a murky day, the cloud coverage was low and blocked any sun rays that could have been trying to burst through as they dusted the pavement with their rain. Hermione sighed. This had become her life now. Sitting in an arm chair staring out of the window. Long gone was the war heroine that once ruled the battle fields. Long gone was the young girl who used to believe that things would always get better. Instead, there was half a girl who had long accepted that she would never see better days again.

Six months ago, she had been at the forefront of the war. A war heroine who had lead them to victory in several battles. Then she was hit by a curse, a curse so powerful that it removed all muscle functions. She could not even tilt or nod her head, wiggle her toes or fingers, nothing. She was a vegetable. She remained like that for many weeks, a prisoner in her own body. Her mind was fully alert, her body however would just not respond. St Mungos worked tirelessly for those weeks but nothing worked. Until they received anonymous intel on the curse that Hermione had been struck with and the counter curse. However, the counter curse didn't work instantly, Hermione had to teach her muscles to move again after being frozen for so long. She had to learn how to talk, write, walk, eat and drink again. It was humiliating for her, the brightest witch of her age, Captain of the Dumbledore's Army: The highest ranking squad that the order have consisting of the best witches and wizards from around the world, to be nothing more than an over grown baby having to depend on someone else to keep her alive. It was decided then that word would be spread of the young witches death. It was easier to let people think she had died than to reveal the truth and honestly Hermione was okay with that.

Thinking about what her life was like was difficult for Hermione, it always left a pounding in her chest and a dull ache in her head. She stared out of the window and watched the rain drops run down the glass. She used to play this game all of the time when she was a kid in the back of her dad's car whenever it was raining. Her mind went to her parents. They were, as far as she was aware, still living a happy life in Australia where she had sent then a little over four years ago. She tried not to think about them either, she would always remind herself that they were safe and that was the end. She hoped deep down somewhere that one day she would be able to reunite them to their only daughter but the longer the war went on, the less likely it became. As far as she was aware, her parents had died 1998 when she sent them away and modified their memories.

Hermione didn't know how long she had been in the armchair for when a commotion downstairs caught her attention. She stood up and slowly made her way down to see what was going on. She walked along the hallway that lead to the kitchen. She could see many people filling the room, they were surrounding the table, it was most of the DA and the phoenix squad. She slowly approached the doorway to attempt to get a better look at what was going on. She felt a twinge in her heart when she looked around at the Order's finest members, she was once in that crowd. As she scanned the room, her eyes fell onto the blonde hair that she would recognise anywhere. She frowned. What on earth was Draco Malfoy doing in the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters?

"I've already told you. I received this." He growled as he tossed a clear vial with a rubber stopper onto the table. It was clear to see that it contained a memory. "It lead me here. See it for yourselves." He growled as he lent back against the chair. Hermione watched in confusion as a pensive appeared on the table. It was Remus who elected to watch the memory first. Hermione waited, eagerly watching to see what would happen. Her body might have failed her but her mind never did, she always wanted to know more; even now, especially now.

Lupin stepped away from the pensive and nodded his head, he indicated for someone else to step up. Hermione watched as the order members took it in turn to witness the memory. Harry, Tonks, Ginny, Ron, George, Kingsley Shacklebolt and finally Dean Thomas all took their turn and it wasn't until all of them had seen the memory did someone speak.

"We believe you." Remus said calmly. Draco threw his hands in the air and statistically cheered. "You will obviously have to prove your loyalty to the order, we must know for sure that you aren't going to run straight back to the death eaters and share with them everything you know." Remus explained. Draco nodded as if he had been expecting that. "You will be under house arrest until further notice, I assume they will assume you missing in action?" Remus asked. Draco nodded, he was staring at his hands which were joined on top of the table, Hermione wondered whether that was to control his anger, or to stop the shaking that was caused by his evident nerves.

"Draco Malfoy, you are hereby under house arrest with the Order of the Phoenix whilst you under go loyalty tests. You have agreed to this and once I have finished it will be too late to back out." Remus was talking fast but clear, Draco was still staring at his hands. "This now will be your final chance to walk out of here, to make up your mind you must answer this question and I will take your first answer, do you understand?" Remus asked. Draco looked up and met eye contact with the werewolf. He nodded and Remus nodded in reply. "Master Draco Lucius Malfoy, do you have services that are of use to the Order of the Phoenix? Yes or no?" Remus asked.

"Yes." Draco replied almost instantly, his gaze remaining linked with Remus'. Remus nodded and then smiled.

"That's the answer I was hoping for. Draco, this has been a long time coming. Welcome, shortly we will get you settled into a bedroom but for now can we get you anything?" He asked. Draco shook his head. Hermione started to notice that her muscles were starting to ache. She wanted to know more, she was even tempted to walk into the kitchen and pretend like she hadn't seen a thing, she wouldn't ever do it, not any more but, that didn't stop the temptation. She was lost in her own thoughts when she noticed that he was looking at her. Her heart hammered in her chest as they stared at each other. She didn't know what to do, she hadn't mean to be spotted, did he know that she'd been there the whole time, did he think she was dead like so many others did? He frowned at her and cocked his head to the side. She blinked a couple of times and then turned away, she rushed up to her room moving as fast as her tired muscles would let her.


	2. November 2002

**November 2002:**

Draco Malfoy had been under house arrest at number 12 Grimmauld Place for a month, everything he knew about You Know Who had been revealed and he was slowly starting to earn people's trust. His intel on the death eater strong hold in the South West lead to that area being over thrown and now back into the Order's hands. The rebuild was due to start any day now. He had thought that knowing his information and what he knew was helping them get the upper hand would fulfil the sense of revenge that swept through him. The burning desire to make them pay for what they have done grew more and more with each passing week. As more time passed, it was getting harder to cope with not easier. He had always been told that time heals everything but time had passed and he wasn't feeling very healed yet.

There was nothing really to do at Grimmauld Place, he set himself to work cleaning the place up a little, he removed the dust from the books in the library and took pleasure in burning his aunts picture off of the family tree. He also burnt out his father's picture and his own. He wanted no association with his father and he meant it.

He'd done a little exploring during his days, but most of the time, he spent it in his room. Every now and then an injured wizard was placed onto the second bed that was next to his whilst they slept off the cure for whatever they had been suffering with, they were always gone within a few days. It was Hermione Granger that seemed to be the only permanent resident, aside from him of course.

He hadn't seen her since his first night here, he was almost starting to think that he'd imagined her. That his mind somehow thought of her when he entered this house. This was after all where she was last noted to have been staying. He'd heard that she was dead. That Yaxley's curse had been too much for her and she had died. He remembered the night You Know Who's elite celebrated the death of the girl. Draco had not celebrated that night, he instead spent it in the library wishing that things were different.

He had tried to save her, but his curse didn't hit Yaxley until after he had sent a curse in Hermione's direction. Hermione being faced the other way had no idea it was coming. Draco quite often thought about the irony of his first kill being someone who he was supposed to be fighting with, not against. Maybe he should have known then that it would have ended this way. That night after all was the beginning of Draco's loyalty change, it was that night that his dark mark started to cause him trouble, it was like his body had suddenly become allergic to it. The skin was red raw and itchy as hell. It was the night that he arrived here at Grimmauld Place that his mark really took its revenge. He'd laid awake all night that night twitching in pain as the magic within his dark mark burned away his skin. He didn't know how long he had been asleep when he woke, the smell of burned flesh in his nostrils and a large section of his arm a charred and blistered mess. He tried every trick he knew to reverse the burns, or heal them in some way but nothing worked; Not even pain relief. His arm was left to heal very slowly and he was left to deal with the pain. Pain that was starting to ease a little with each passing day and once healed, a simple glamour charm would hide the hideous scar left upon his arm.

Draco was in the bathroom attending to his wound as he did every morning and every night. He could hear the chatter from breakfast that was going on downstairs. It was a busy one this morning due to it being a Captain's breakfast. Once a week, the captains of the different squads all meet at HQ for breakfast and an update on how things are going. Draco had been invited the last couple of weeks but he always declined. There was no place for him at that table and he knew it. He listened as laughter echoed around the house. He found it hard to understand how they laughed so freely. He himself couldn't remember the last time he smiled let alone laughed.

He decided that he would make his way back to his bedroom and read for a short while, he was walking with his head down when he glanced up and came face to face with Hermione. The pair stood awkwardly for a few moments, neither one of them knowing what to say. At least he knew that he hadn't imagined that she was there when he arrived because there she was right in front of him, most definitely alive. Before he could say anything she rushed away from him leaving him standing in the narrow hall alone.

* * *

He didn't see her again for thee days after that. He'd been wandering around the house, exploring some of the rooms he hadn't been in to when he stumbled upon her in the living room. She'd pulled a large, oversized arm chair towards one of the tall windows and was sitting with her legs pulled up towards her chest just staring out of the window. He stood still for a few moments, he didn't think that she noticed him standing there, she wasn't moving at all. He was starting to question whether she was even alive when she spoke.

"I know you're there Malfoy." She admitted quietly. Draco was shocked for a moment, he didn't know whether to stay put or to run away, he just froze on the spot. "Pull a chair." Hermione instructed. Draco looked around and spotted one more armchair. He grabbed it and ignored the pain shooting through his arm as he pulled it towards the window so that it was next to Hermione's. He walked around and sat down. He looked at Hermione who still hadn't moved and then out of the window. Draco watched the rain run down the window pane as the pair sat in silence.

"I killed him." Draco spoke out at last. "Yaxley. He was my first." He explained. Hermione did not look at him but she nodded.

"I killed your aunt." She admitted, her tone of voice lacking all emotion much like her eyes. Draco nodded, this was not news to him.

"I know." He said quietly.

"Do you hate me?" She asked. Draco was a little taken back by the question, he instantly shook his head.

"I did not and do not care for the witch." He told her as he shrugged his shoulders. Bellatrix had only ever done one thing right with her life and that was teach him occlumency. That skill soon became a very useful one to have. The pair fell back into silence. Draco was surprised at how comforting he found just sitting and watching the world could be. People walked past the house and across the street, some huddling under umbrellas others with their hoods pulled up over their heads all of them rushing to get out of the weather.

"I could cut your hair if you'd like?" Hermione suggested suddenly. Draco looked at her to find her looking at him. He scanned her face for a moment, she was much thinner than she was in school, her hair was no longer bushy and out of control, it had a natural wave to it now that fell effortlessly around her shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. His hair was longer than he liked it to be and it wasn't as if he was going anywhere that people would see him if she did fuck it up.

"Sure, why not?" He agreed with shrug. Hermione nodded and then lead him downstairs.

She sat him down on one of the chairs and bustled around him, it wasn't long before she was telling him that she was done and directing him to the mirror. He inspected his hair thoroughly and was impressed at what she'd done. It was just how he liked it. He nodded approvingly as he ran his hand through his now shorter blonde locks.

"Thank you." He said, he turned around with a warm smile on his face but then noticed that she was gone. He stood awkwardly for a few moments, unsure whether he should feel upset or relieved that she didn't stick around. He shrugged his shoulders, returned the chair to its rightful place and continued his exploration of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Draco had found his way to the fourth floor of the old house. There was a small landing with three doors, one to the right, one straight ahead and then finally one to the left. Draco paused for a few moments and drew his wand from his robes. It appeared as though no one had been up here for years and knowing the blacks as well as he did, he couldn't guarantee that everything up here would be safe. He drew in a deep breath and decided that he was going to tackle the door right in front of him first. He exhaled slowly and nodded to himself before he pushed his way into the room.

Draco was tense as he entered the seemingly empty room. He paused for a few seconds after entering, if there was a ward or a hidden trick in this room it would reveal itself almost instantly. He let out a breath when after a few minutes, nothing happened. He slowly crept further into the room, keeping his wand ready to strike at any moment. He circled the almost empty room once and then stepped closer to the middle to inspect the object that was underneath a dusty, grey, cover. His heart beat in anticipation, from a tour of the outside Draco recognised the shape of the object to be that of an upright piano. He took a few steps back then raised his wand, the cover flew off of the object and Draco had to resist the urge not to whoop in joy. It was indeed an upright piano. He muttered a few spells to check for any nasty surprises and was pleased when nothing came forward. He inspected the piano closely, excitement rising within him. It had been too long since he had anything to do with music. It was one of his sacrifices he had made towards the war.

He ran his hands along the top, a smile rising to his face as the memory of the first time he played the piano rose to his mind.

 _Draco ran after his friend had come to greet him at the door. The Malfoy's always visited the Zabini's on a Sunday for a feast it had been a tradition even before the two children were born within days of each other six years ago._

" _You need to come and see this Dray, it's the best present I have ever got!" Blaise said animatedly to his friend and rushed off towards one of the rooms in the West Wing. He stopped outside one of the large, oak doors and grinned at his friend. He pushed the door open and lead him inside. The room was one of the smaller rooms of the Zabini Manor. It had hard wood floor and was painted an emerald colour. The walls were lined with bookshelves but it was the thing in the middle that Blaise was eager to show his friend._

" _It's a piano." Said Draco, puffing his chest out. He'd seen plenty of pianos before. Blaise nodded and pulled himself up onto the stool. He started to play a simple tune, a huge grin plastered on his face._

" _Come and try it. You'll love it I promise." Blaise encouraged Draco to join him, Draco remained where he was for a second before he shrugged his shoulders and joined his friend on the stool. Blaise taught him a few simple melodies and soon they were playing confidently and laughing madly. This was the most fun Draco had had in months._

" _You have to teach me when you learn something new!" Draco insisted when the boys were instructed to wash up for dinner. Blaise grinned at his friend._

" _Of course." He promised and they sealed it with a handshake._

Since that day, every time Blaise was taught something new, he taught it to Draco, even when they were in their final year of Hogwarts, the two boys were still meeting to have a jam session. Draco's heart thudded in his chest, he tried to swallow the sadness he felt about his friend and let the excitement of restoring the old piano rise again. He surveyed what needed to be done and was pleased that everything that needed doing, he knew how. He stood back and looked at the old, dusty, piano and smiled. Memories of him and Blaise playing music together over the years played like a slide show in his mind, he tried to make it stop at first but eventually accepted that it wasn't going to work. He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor with his legs tucked up to his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. It had only been two months since his best friend had been killed but to him, it felt like years ago. So much had changed, so much had been lost and there was a huge part of Draco that longed for things to go back to how they used to be. When Draco and Blaise would run the halls of the manor pretending to be soldiers, it was only now that he looked back did he realise the irony of those childhood games. When their biggest worry was when the other one would be taken home leaving them alone until they were next reunited. How Draco longed to feel the hope that once burned deep within him, to see a future painted in gold instead of blood. He knew this was a useless thing to long for but it didn't stop him.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there when he finally decided to rise. His legs had gone dead and it took a while for him to get rid of the pins and needles that shot through both feet. He recovered the piano and made his way back to his bedroom. He hovered outside the door he knew belonged to Hermione's room, temptation to enlighten her to his discovery played in his mind but he suddenly decided against it and rushed towards the safety of his room.

* * *

Hermione was sure that she was going mad. For the last few days, she had started to hear piano music whenever she was in her bedroom. It wasn't there all the time but at random times, it was really starting to annoy her, where the hell was it coming from?

After the fourth day of hearing the mysterious piano music, Hermione decided that she was going to find the source and shut it up. She strode out of her bedroom with her wand in hand, she cast a spell to guide her to the source of the sound and it started tugging her towards the end of the hall. When she reached the end, the wand pointed up. Hermione frowned as she looked around, there was no way to get up. She stepped back confused when suddenly a small ladder appeared in front of her, revealing an entry to the hidden fourth floor. Hermione gasped and shrugged her shoulders. As she climbed the ladder she hoped that she wasn't being lead into an awful trap, she wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Hermione found herself on a small landing, the wand pulled her forward when she was expecting it to and she stumbled through the door straight ahead of her. She straightened herself up and swept her hair away from her face. She looked around and was met with a shocked look from Draco Malfoy.

"I'm not going mad." She mumbled to herself as she walked further into the room, her eyes on the piano that Malfoy was seated at.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Granger." Draco replied with a smirk. Hermione glared at him but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards slightly.

"I thought I might be going mad because I kept hearing music." Hermione explained as she circled the piano. "Where did this even come from?" She asked, her eyes wide with amazement as she surveyed the old instrument.

"I found it in here." Malfoy answered with a shrug. Hermione nodded.

"And it was playable?" She asked. Malfoy shook his head.

"No, I had to tweak a few bits here and there but it's playable now. Do you play?" He asked. Hermione shook her head. A shine appearing in her eyes.

"My father played, I never had the patience to learn myself, I was more interested in books." She admitted. Draco nodded.

"Blaise taught me to play, when we were kids." He said quietly. He looked from the keys to Hermione. She had a stray tear running down her cheek. "Do you want me to teach you?" He asked softly. Hermione looked at him with surprise written in her eyes, she nodded quickly. Draco smiled, shuffled over and patted the space on the stool beside him. Hermione swallowed a nervous breath and sat down, it had been a long time since she had been this physically close to someone, especially someone who was as handsome as Draco Malfoy.

Hermione watched and listened as Draco showed her the basics in piano playing. She copied what he was doing and found it easer than she first thought. It wasn't long before they were making up simple melodies, both with huge smiles on their faces. As the music bounced around them, the pair felt the more peace in that moment that they had in a very long time.

Meeting on the fourth floor quickly became a daily occurrence for the pair. Draco had started to teach Hermione how to read sheet music and in return she would read to him classic muggle novels.

"What was it that sent you here?" Hermione asked one afternoon, she was sitting next to Draco at the piano just listening to him play a simple melody, almost like a lullaby. Draco frowned at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"The night you arrived, you said that something sent you here, what was it?" Hermione questioned. She had always been inquisitive, she'd made it a life lesson to always learn as much about a situation as possible and this was one of the things she just had to know, it had been playing on her mind ever since that night.

Draco smiled and stopped playing. He turned to Hermione slightly, she obviously wanted to know the story so he decided that it was time he told her.

"I'm sure you remember our dear old potions professor, Professor Snape and how he met a rather nasty end not so long ago." Draco began, he kept pausing as if he was unsure on what to say next. Hermione never interrupted him though, she waited patiently for him to find his words, drinking them in as she sat. "He had a will with only one thing on it and that thing was left to me. Due to the secrecy act and all that codswallop, my parents could not be told what it was. This item was a memory in a vial and a letter, sealed with Professor Snape's official Hogwarts seal. I didn't read it at first, I still eyed the man as a traitor at this point despite my own loyalties starting to sway." He paused for a moment as the realisation of the fact that this was something that he had never spoken to anyone about before, no one had ever truly heard the real story of why he deflected to the order. Hermione's hand found one of his own when she sensed his hesitation. He looked down at her hand which was now covering his, a tingling sensation spreading across the skin that she was in contact with.

"I don't judge." She said softly. Draco nodded, took a deep breath and then continued on.

"Anyway, I continued to fight alongside the death eaters. I continued to follow his orders blindly, still wanting to prove myself, to renew the reputation of the family name that my father so selfishly tainted. It was Blaise who started questioning first, which isn't surprising, it was always Blaise who asked the questions. He would plead with me when we were alone to see the error in our ways, promised me that it wasn't too late. I'm not sure if you're aware of this but he was planning to deflect himself. He didn't want that life any more and the more and the more he preached about it, the more I could see that he was right. He had a plan and it was a brilliant one if I do say something myself." Draco paused and his gaze fell to the corner of the room. His heart already starting to ache knowing what was the next part in his story. Hermione squeezed his hand gently. Draco looked down at her hands, he noticed the way her tanned skin contrasted with the paleness of his own. He liked it, it looked striking, noticeable. He then looked up so his eyes met hers. Amber with flecks of hazel. Her pupils wide and dark. He could see himself in the centre of them. Her eyes were relaxing to him, he felt his heart slow down a little as he focused on her. How had he not noticed how beautiful her eyes were before?

"It's okay." She whispered softly. Draco nodded and took a deep breath. He could do this.

"There were only three people including Blaise that knew of his plans. Everything was set up and ready to go, we just had to say goodbye. I didn't know then that the goodbye said hastily before he escaped from the manor would be the last goodbye we ever shared." A tear rolled silently down his cheek as he spoke. Hermione slowly raised her hand and used her thumb to wipe it away. Draco flinched slightly, he didn't mean to, he just hadn't expected her to touch him.

"It's okay." She whispered again as her hand returned to his.

"It was Theo who ratted him. Told the Dark Lord everything." Draco paused again, anger starting to rise inside of him. Theo was supposed to have been their friend, their brother but he betrayed them. "When I found out that Blaise had been killed during his escape and that it was because of Theo's intel, I took a trip out to the Nott's mansion and well, Theo was my third death eater kill. I have to say, looking back I was always a pretty shitty death eater." He tried to make light of the situation, just like he always did. Hermione chuckled. "I'm losing track again, anyway, after Nott's betrayal and the loss of Blaise, I knew that I had to do something so I retrieved the letter and memory from my vault and opened it. It was Snape detailing his life story pretty much, I have to say after reading it, I can understand why he was so miserable all the time, his life sucked but he wrote about the Order, about who they were and what they did. He wanted me to know that they would always be there when I eventually realised like he did that I was fighting for the wrong thing. The memory was of him walking to Grimmuald Place showing me exactly where to go and what do to when I got there, skip a couple of months and here we are." Draco flashed Hermione a signature smirk.

"Here we are." Hermione repeated. A sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry about Blaise, it sucks losing a best friend." Draco's heart lurched as sadness swept over her facial features and tears sprung to her eyes. Hermione Granger, the girl who always had to be strong was fighting a break down right in front of Draco and he had no idea what to do.

"It's okay." He whispered, he pulled his hand out from underneath hers and gently placed it on top, it was his turn to comfort her now. "You don't have to tell me anything." He said softly. Hermione shook her head.

"I know how you got here, now you should know how I ended up a prisoner here too." She said confidently. Draco nodded, his heart fluttered as their gazes met. He asked himself again how he hadn't noticed how naturally beautiful she was.

"I was Captain of the Order's highest rank: Dumbledore's Army. Things were going well, we'd made a dent in death eater numbers and we were closing in on some major strongholds. I was out surveying damage when we were suddenly swarmed. I was hit with a curse from behind, that you must have known about to tell me that it was you who killed Yaxley." Hermione said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. Draco held his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, it's your turn to tell the story, not mine." He smirked. Hermione glared at him then rolled her eyes, an amused smile rising to her lips.

"Okay, so I was hit with this curse, you are familiar with the one?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded. "So you know that it's very complicated to find the counter curse, made even more complicated when the curse itself went unrecognised for nearly four weeks. I don't know how the counter curse was discovered, but it was and so my muscles were mine again only they didn't work. I had to totally learn how to do everything again. When I was due to be released from St Mungos I needed somewhere to go that was safe for me to continue my recovery, that's when it was decided that the rumour of my death would be started and I would go into hiding here at the Order HQ. Their plans I believe were that I would world behind the scenes but I haven't been much of a help. I'm a bit mentally incapacitated." She laughed at herself because if she didn't laugh she would just star crying again. Draco chuckled too and nodded.

"I have to confess that I too am a little mentally incapacitated." He said with a smirk. Hermione laughed and shook her head. Draco turned back to the piano and started playing a jazz tune. Hermione joined in by pressing the occasional key, they had shared more information with each other than they had shared with anyone for years and they both felt lighter and more free than they had that morning.


	3. December 2002

**December 2002:**

On the First of December, Mrs Weasley arrived with boxes of Christmas decorations. Grimmauld Place was nearly a full house with the latest arrival of Luna Lovegood and Dean Thomas who were currently rehabilitating from injuries sustained on the battle field. Mrs Weasley, having always been a big fan of Christmas, wanted the house to be alive with Christmas spirit by the time the event rolled around.

Draco and Hermione were seated at the kitchen table when a number of different sized cardboard boxes started to appear on the table in front of them. They exchanged confused looks as Mrs Weasley marched into the kitchen with the twins trailing behind.

"Just place those bits on the table my dears and we can start to sort it out." She instructed with a cheerful tone to her voice. She turned around and noticed Hermione and Draco who were both leant back on their chairs with worried expressions on their faces.

"Oh good, you two can help with the decorations!" She declared. Draco looked from Mrs Weasley to Hermione. He shook his head. He had no intentions of getting into the Christmas spirit. He stood up and left the room without saying a word. Mrs Weasley shrugged, and started to sort through the boxes full of tinsel, decorative items and other Christmas related decorations.

Hermione found herself being paired with George and tasked with putting up a Christmas tree in the living room. She was attempting to decorate the large, green, tree without using magic but George had different ideas. He lay across the sofa and lazily flicked his wand around placing decorations in random places on the tree. Hermione kept glaring at him which just spurred him on to keep rearranging the decorations she had already placed.

"So, Hermione, what's going on between you and Malfoy?" George asked after he decided to take a break from causing her trouble with the tree. Hermione placed a sparkling silver bauble on the tree and turned to him. She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know what was going on between her and Draco, she cared about him deeply, and it was with him that she felt like there was hope for a better life. She saw the world in a lighter shade when she was with him, she didn't have to wonder whether or not she would be okay because around him, she was.

"Has he changed? Like everyone is saying he has?" He asked. He'd been watching the young Malfoy since his first day here and so far hadn't noticed anything apart from his stinking attitude and his fixation with Hermione.

"I don't think he's changed as much as his true self has been revealed." Hermione spoke quietly. No one had questioned her on Draco, she had been expecting it for a while, he was after all one of the most notorious Death Eaters. His family had been huge supporters of You Know Who right from the beginning, for some people to would be hard to believe that he is truly on their side but Hermione knew, she knew that pain he held in his heart, the guilt that tore through him on a daily basis.

George didn't question her on Draco any more and they both got back to decorating the Christmas tree. With George cooperating they were soon finished and showing off the tree to a delighted Mrs Weasley.

"I have it all planned my dears, we're all going to be here for Christmas Day, people can come in and out as they wish and I will keep food supplied and warm all day. That was any of our soldiers that want to swing by can do so, there's no pressure though." Mrs Weasley rattled on about how wonderful this time of year was and how magnificent the decorations were looking. Hermione wasn't really paying attention, she could hear the faint tune of a lullaby from upstairs and knew that Draco was up there, in their room. Hermione faked a yawn and told Mrs Weasley that she was going to get a drink and then go for a lie down, she played on her tired muscles a little, an excuse that was easily bought by the elder witch.

Hermione rushed downstairs, she grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and a line of tinsel from one of the boxes. With a smile on her face, she rushed up to the third floor to meet with Draco.

Draco was playing one of the very first songs he learnt to play when the door opened behind him. He stopped playing and turned to see Hermione walking towards him. He felt the beat of his heart quicken and nerves settle into his stomach. He wasn't used to feeling nervous around people, especially not women but Hermione had an effect on him that no witch had ever had.

"What is that?" He asked as he eyed up the bright purple tinsel in her hand. Hermione smiled at him and batted her eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat, if only she knew what that did to him.

"Don't think you can run away from Christmas Draco, this is for the piano." She explained as she walked towards the instrument and laid the length of tinsel along the top. "There, much better. Don't you think?" She said with pride as she sat down next to Draco who rolled his eyes and accepted the water bottle she was offering him. Christmas hadn't been his thing for many years, but he had a feeling that maybe this year, that might change.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in her usual seat in the window of the living room. She was watching the soft, white snowflakes flutter towards the ground which had now started to be covered with a thick layer of snow. Her heart longed to go outside and feel the snowflakes on her tongue like she did when she was younger. She watched as younger children ran around the square throwing snowballs at each other and working together to build snow men. She sighed to herself, she knew that she should move away from the window, she knew that sitting here watching the snow fall was not going to be doing her any favours but she just couldn't tear herself away.

"Granger." Draco greeted as he entered the room. Hermione didn't look at him, she was still watching the children play outside. "Hey Granger, you in there?" Draco asked again, this time he walked around to stand in between Hermione and the window. She snapped out of her daze and looked up at him. She mumbled a reply and looked down at her hands. Draco keeled down in front of her and took her hands in his own.

"What's up?" He asked, a look of sincerity written across his features. Hermione shook her head, she didn't want to worry him with the insignificance of what was going on in her head, especially not when he was only days away from passing his training to officially join the order's fighting ranks. "Don't pull that with me Granger, come on, what's in that pretty little head of yours?" He pushed on, he didn't know when he started to care about what Granger was feeling but he did, and seeing her stare out of the window lost to his world didn't sit well with him.

"It doesn't matter." Hermione whispered feebly. Draco shook his head, he wasn't letting this go, something was bothering her and he needed to know what it was to know how to fix it. "Hermione, look at me." Draco whispered. It took her a few moments but finally her eyes found his. His breath hitched in his throat as their gazes connected, he could get lost in the amber swirls of her eyes.

"I just wish I could go out in the snow." She admitted at last. "It's just been such a long time since I last went outside." Draco nodded. He knew that feeling, he too felt the longing to go outside once in a while. He stood up suddenly.

"Wait here." He instructed. "I'll be right back." He turned and rushed from the room leaving Hermione a little confused. True to his word, he returned a few moments later with his wand and two winter coats.

"Stand up." He instructed and then set to work. He circled Hermione muttering spells under his breath. Hermione felt her skin tingling and knew in her mind that he must be altering her appearance. She opened her mouth to speak but Draco held his hand up to stop her. She felt he tingling and the warm sensation stopped. Hermione watched as Draco turned his wand to himself and slowly, his appearance changed. His skin became more tanned and his eyes changed to a dark brown, his hair shortened and darkened to a mousey brown. He looked unrecognisable.

"By the look on your face, I would say that it has worked." Draco said with a smug look on his changed features. Hermione smiled, his smirk was still his smirk even under all this disguise. Draco helped Hermione into one of the winter coats and then shrugged on his own. He then lead her out to the hallway. The couple stood in front of the large mirror.

Hermione gasped as she studied her changed appearance. Instead of her usual long, wavy, hair, she had short blonde hair which was very straight. Her eyes were a bright blue and her skin a much paler tone.

"This is amazing." She exclaimed. She turned to Draco. "How long will it last?" She asked. Draco smiled.

"It lasts until I reverse it, this set of charms has saved my arse more than once, it only wears off if someone knows that you are under the disguise. Apart from that, even people who know you should not be able to tell who you are." Draco explained. He left out the part that it was this disguise he had used on Blaise the night he tried to escape from the manor. He pushed those thoughts aside and held his elbow out for Hermione to take.

"Shall we?" He asked. Hermione felt giddy inside as she looped her arm with Draco's. For the first time in many months, Hermione and Draco left Grimmauld Place.

The cold air enveloped them both as they walked down the steps and onto the street. Nerves bubbled inside of Hermione and she had to keep reminding herself that they were both in disguise, even if they crossed paths with someone they knew, they wouldn't be recognised. She let the cold air sweep into her lungs and revelled in feeling the cold air on her fingers. She stopped walking once they'd rounded the corner. She let her arms fall to her side and tilted her head back. She extended her tongue to catch the falling snowflakes. Draco stood back and watched her, he imagined her how she should look doing the same thing and his heart leapt inside of his chest. He wasn't sure when or how it had happened but Hermione Granger had infected his mind, his heart and his soul and he personally wouldn't have it any other way.

"There's a park, just around the corner. I used to visit there in the summers. We could go there?" Hermione suggested once she had finished catching snowflakes on her tongue. Draco nodded and let her lead the way.

The park was dotted with people all enjoyed the snow for the first time this winter. At some point during the walk, Hermione's hand had found Draco's and her fingers had intertwined with his. They walked across the snow covered grass until they found a bench. Someone had already been along and removed the snow from the wood so they both sat down. Hermione leant her head on Draco's shoulder as they watched the people on the green in a comfortable silence.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered after a while. A smile rose to Draco's lips as a warmth spread through him.

"You don't need to thank me." He whispered and really she didn't. It wasn't just her that was enjoying being outside and unknown. No one bothered them as they sat and people watched on the bench, no one knew who they were, where they came from or even that they were in the middle of the worst war their kind had ever seen. To the other people in the park, Draco and Hermione were simply just two other people.

Hermione wasn't quite sure what happened next to get them to where they were but suddenly she found herself captured by his arms as his lips moved against hers softly but passionately. With her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand held his neck whilst the other gripped onto his hair, she straightened up so their chests were touching. Draco growled into the kiss and deepened his actions. His tongue ran lightly across her bottom lip, in response she opened her mouth slightly and their tongues began an electrifying battle. Every sense was heightened until she could sense nothing but the feel of Draco against her, the world around her faded until it was just them. There was no war, no hiding, no pain and no sacrifice. Just her, him and the overwhelming sensation of pleasure that was flying around her body. When they finally broke apart, both of them were panting. Neither had ever felt anything like what they had just experienced in their lives.

"Draco..." Hermione started to whisper but Draco held up a finger and placed it softly against her lips.

"Don't." He whispered feebly, a broken look haunting his disguised eyes. He didn't want her to tell him that this was a mistake, that they shouldn't have done that, he waited for her to stand up and walk away. He looked down at his feet but Hermione used a hand to gently tilt his face back towards her.

"Kiss me again." She said softly. Draco's eyebrows lifted slightly but he didn't have to be told twice and soon they were once again in a world that only included them.

* * *

Christmas quickly found its way to Grimmauld Place and soon the place was bustling with visitors who were popping in to join the festivities. Hermione and Draco were finding it difficult having so many painful faces in the rooms of their current home. They spent a lot of the time hiding up in the piano room attempting to forget what was going on below them.

"Draco, what were Christmases like when you were a child?" Hermione inquired one day when they were sitting listening to muggle music on a radio Hermione had brought up from her bedroom. She was slowly teaching Draco about the muggle world and the more he learnt about it, the more fascinated he became. A lot of things were very similar to theirs, for example they had fiction and non-fiction novels, their music sounded pretty much the same, their buildings were very similar and they spoke to each other in similar ways that wizards did. The question from Hermione caught him off guard a little.

"Christmas?" He repeated. Hermione nodded. Their friendship had blossomed since their temporary escape from Grimmauld Place, they spent a large amount of their time together kissing, they both found that when they were with each other, they forgot about the cruelties their world had laid out for them and the pain that echoed throughout both of their hearts. They were just them. Draco thought about what his Christmases had been like as a child. To him, they were nothing special, especially as he got older.

"My parents never let me believe in the old Saint Nick. They believed that it was a waste of time for a child to believe such useless things, actually, I tell a lie, it was Lucius that believed that, a bit like it was Lucius that didn't want any more children. He had his male heir and that was all that mattered to him. My mother wanted more, she wanted many more." Draco explained, letting Hermione see further into his life and into his soul. "What were you Christmases like?" Draco asked, his finger tracing circles on her shoulder. Hermione smiled, the skin felt warm underneath his touch, she was leant slightly towards him, he was letting her into his life and she knew that was something he didn't do very often. She felt very privileged that it was her he was choosing to let in and now she knew that it was her turn to let him into hers. She took a shaky breath.

"On Christmas Eve, my dad would come home early from work after shutting the surgery for a week, he would always have with him Christmas Eve boxes for us all which usually contained new pyjamas, a new book, a film to watch and a hot chocolate kit. Mine would always only have pink marshmallows in it because I never used to eat the white ones." She paused as she reminisced about her parents and a life which was much more simple than the one she lead now. "We'd get changed into our pyjamas, make the hot chocolates and watch the new film, then I would place out cookies and a glass of milk for Santa before going to bed." As she finished telling him about her old Christmas traditions, tears welled up in her eyes. Those Christmas Eves felt like a whole lifetime ago to Hermione. Draco watched as she opened up about her past life a little more, she didn't open up often about her family and he didn't blame her; He himself was not an open book. Draco pulled her closer to him so that she was now seated sideways on his lap. He pulled her face so it was centimetres away from his and then kissed her slowly. It was his way of letting her know that he supported her, that he was there for her.

When they broke away, Hermione leant back slightly.

"What are we doing Draco?" She asked, her brows creased in a frown. Draco tilted his head sideways slightly.

"What do you mean?" He enquired, confused about the sudden change of subject.

"Us. This. You and me. What is it?" She asked again, tears still building in her eyes. Draco took a deep breath, he had been waiting for this topic to arise. He knew it was too good to be true that they would just carry along as they were without a serious conversation coming up, he knew that Hermione was far too intelligent to let that happen.

"What do you want this to be?" Draco asked, his voice low and almost seductive. Hermione sighed in his arms. Draco used his thumb to tilt her face so that he was looking at her.

"Hermione Granger, in truth, I do not know what this is but what I do know is that I care about you, I like having you around and I adore kissing you." Draco smirked his traditional smirk at her and she chuckled a little. "Hermione." He said softly, his voice dropping in tone. He scanned her face drinking in every little detail from the slight scar on her right eyebrow to the sprinkling of freckles that spread over her nose and cheeks. He leant forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I've never said this to anyone before but I'm going to say it now, you asked what this is and what we are and well I don't know about you but I am going to admit to you now that I am falling in love with you." He was speaking fast due to his fear of his words failing him. He had never been good with his emotions and he wasn't going to start pretending he was now. Hermione stared at him with her mouth slightly open. She shifted in his lap and for a moment, Draco thought she was going to run away screaming however, she did not. Instead she leant forward and kissed him with all of her might. The force behind her kiss shocked Draco for a moment before he retaliated by fighting for dominance against her, his heart hammered in his chest as all of his blood went straight to his groin. He growled into the kiss when Hermione bit at his bottom lip and he whimpered when she pulled away.

"I'm falling in love with you too." She whispered and then leant forward so her head was laid against his chest. He closed his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His heart feeling the lightest it had in months.

* * *

A new year was fast approaching and life was starting to return to normal at Grimmauld Place, Dean Thomas had been cleared to go back out on duty which left only Luna, Hermione and Draco at Grimmauld Place.

Mrs Weasley would arrive every other morning and stay until late afternoon despite protests that they could quite adequately feed themselves and do their own laundry. She was splitting her time between here and one of the other safe houses, doing what she did best; Caring for every one.

"No, no Hermione Dear, I am not allowed to fight on the battle field so let me do my bit by supporting you guys here and at Shell Cottage." Mrs Weasley objected one morning when Hermione told her to take a day off. Hermione relented and sat down to wait for breakfast. It wasn't long until she was joined by Luna who was wearing baby blue pyjamas and bunny slippers. She greeted both the witches in the kitchen and sat down in the chair she had claimed as hers. Hermione didn't know what had happened to Luna but whatever it was had certainly left her mark, Luna was a shadow of what she used to be.

Mrs Weasley had just served breakfast when Draco appeared in the kitchen. Everyone stared at him for a few moments as he walked towards the table and sat down. This was the first time since he arrived that he had come to sit and eat with them. He smiled at Hermione as he sat.

"Good morning Mrs Weasley." He greeted the older witch as she prepared him a plate of food.

"Good morning Draco." She greeted with a smile and handed him his plate, he thanked her gratefully and started eating. Hermione watched him as he ate with a slight frown of confusion on his face.

"Can a man not come down for breakfast?" He questioned once Mrs Weasley had left the kitchen. The question took Hermione by surprise and she stuttered in response. Draco chuckled.

"Oh Hermione, I am only teasing." He said cheerfully. "It's New Year's Eve." He declared to the table. Luna nodded and Hermione looked at him confused. He chuckled again. "It's the end of another year and a new one is about to begin and I don't know about you girls, but I have a feeling it's going to be a big one." He leant back against his chair and tapped his stomach. "Plus, over Christmas I realised how good Mrs Weasley's cooking is and decided that I would like more of it." He winked at Hermione who couldn't keep the smile off of her face any longer. She was proud of Draco, he was finally starting to let go a little and enjoy the smaller things in life, just like she was trying to do.

After breakfast, the couple retreated up to the living room where they sat in their respective arm chairs and stared out of the window. Occasionally one would make conversation but most of the time the sat in a comfortable silence just milling around in their own minds.

"Do you want to sneak out tonight?" Draco asked. Hermione looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I can disguise us like last time?" Hermione considered the offer for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. It didn't harm them last time and she had enough faith in Draco that he would keep her safe. Anyway, they were both presumed dead so no one was actively looking for them.

"We could go to muggle London, they have fireworks along the Thames, it's a huge thing in the muggle world." Hermione explained. Draco considered the offer and nodded, and there as they sat in the living room a plan was hatched for them to attend the fireworks in London for the evening.

Once Draco had charmed them both to look as they did a couple of weeks ago and they knew that Luna was in her room for the night, the couple donned some muggle clothing and off they went towards the nearest tube station to get them to London.

Draco was in amazement at the escalators and the ticket barriers and pretty much everything they came across. He kept muttering to himself how amazing this was and Hermione watched in amusement when he was nervous on the tube.

"You're sure these things are safe?" Draco asked again. He had a strong grip onto the pole beside him but was still convinced he was going to fall over. Hermione chuckled. She leant in so her mouth was next to her ear.

"Safer than the death trap you call a broomstick." She whispered Draco glared at her playfully. Draco wrapped one arm around Hermione and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her temple twice. She leant into him and smiled. This was one of the best ideas they had had in a long while. No one knew who they were and if anyone did ask they were Emily and Drew, a young couple from just outside of Brighton who were in London for New Years Eve.

Draco was relieved when Hermione informed him that they were getting off at the next stop and didn't really breath properly until they were out onto the street. Travelling on the underground trains was not something that felt natural to him. The noise and the staleness of the air made his head a little fuzzy, he definitely preferred travelling on his broom. They followed the crowd heading towards the bank of the Thames. Both of them buzzed with excitement as they blended into the muggle crowd. Draco's hand gripped Hermione's tight the whole way along the embankment until they found a spot under a cluster of trees where they could stand together and wait for the fireworks.

Hermione shrugged off her bag from her back and rummaged inside. She pulled out a picnic blanket and laid it out for them both to sit down. She then produced a bottle of champagne and two plastic flutes for them to drink out of. Draco watched in amazement as she produced item after item out of her standard sized back pack. He obviously wasn't the only one who was good with charms.

"We could run away you know." Draco mused as he leant back on his arms, his legs outstretched in front of him. Hermione looked at him with her eyebrow slightly raised, an amused smile on her face.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" She asked. Draco sat up straight and crossed his legs.

"We could just go, after the fireworks." He said simply with a shrug. "Disappear into this growing crowd of muggles, never to be seen again." His voice was low, Hermione had to lean in towards him to hear him over the buzzing crowd surrounding them. Hermione looked out over the river and imagined them walking away from everything they knew, she shook her head. She knew it would never be possible, they would always be found. People don't escape from these kind of lives, they just don't. She decided not to voice this opinion to Draco in fear it may cause a disagreement and ruin their evening. Instead she simply nodded in agreement and changed the subject.

As midnight neared ever closer, the streets along the Thames got busier, it wasn't long before Draco and Hermione had packed up their picnic and stood up to allow for more people to fit in. With his arm around Hermione's shoulder Draco drunk in the atmosphere around him. There was a buzz of excitement and the air filled with laughter, singing and music. It was a huge party, everyone celebrating the end of yet another year. Hope sung a tune in most people's hearts as they counted down until midnight.

The chiming of Big Ben echoed around as fireworks lit up the night sky. Draco scooped Hermione up into his arms and spun her around, as he placed her back down onto her feet he captured her lips with his own. Surrounded by cheers, singing, whooping and celebration, they kissed passionately, as if there was nothing stopping them. The gesture fuelled by love, hope and dreams. The dreams that once seemed impossible were alive and burning bright as the two souls joined to make one.

Draco pulled away from Hermione but remained with his arms tightly around her.

"I love you." He told, a serious expression on his face. Hermione smiled as her cheeks flamed red.

"I love you too." She replied without any hesitation.

* * *

Draco had not wanted to waste another journey and although risky, he apparated them to the street along from Grimmauld Place and they rushed the rest of the way, desperate to reverse the charm and be with each other. They snuck into the front door and waited for a few moments, if they had been noticed missing they had no doubt that someone would be waiting for them, however they were undisturbed. They exchanged glances, a mischievous glint shone in Draco's eyes which turned back to their natural grey almost as soon as they were in the door. Draco was muttering to himself and Hermione watched as his skin grew more pale and his white blonde hair returned.

After both of their appearances had returned to how they should be, Draco picked Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder. She shrieked a little in surprise until Draco hissed at her to be quiet. She apologised as he started to head up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Once he'd kicked his way through the door, he strode towards the bed and gently placed Hermione down on top of the covers. He kissed her gently and started a trail along her jaw line and down her neck. Her back arched as his teeth grazed her throat. Draco hissed into her neck, the blood had rushed down to his groin and his pants had become very uncomfortable. He straightened up and gazed down at his witch. Her lips were puffy and red, she had red marks that shone against her pale neck and was staring at him intently. Draco's heart leapt as he walked back to the door, secured it with a locking charm and then noise protected the room. He wanted Hermione to be able to make as much noise as she wished.

He stalked back over to Hermione who had sat up to watch him. He put his hands under her arms and guided her to a standing position. She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him, he could see the nerves show in through her eyes.

"Relax my love, this is your night." He whispered to her as he started to unbutton her coat. He took his time with each of the buttons, he loved how Hermione's eyes followed his fingers as they worked. His heart hammered in his chest as his fingers lightly grazed her neck as he slid the coat off of her shoulders. He let it fall to the floor and went to the zip of her hooded jumper. He bent forward and placed soft kisses on her neck, he dropped his head lower and took the zip in his teeth. He placed his hands either side of her rib cage and lowered them as he slowly started to unzip her jumper. Hermione's breathing was heavy as his hands explored the curves of her upper body.

Hermione buzzed with anticipation as she watched Draco slowly strip her of one item of clothing at a time. Her nerves were running wild and she was unsure how long her unsteady legs would hold her up for. It had been a long time since she had been exposed in this way to someone, it wasn't just something she did, it took a lot of courage for her to let herself go, it just simply wasn't something she was good at. She tried to focus on her breathing as Draco left feather light touches on her skin. His hands snaked around her back and unclipped her bra with ease. He slowly slipped the straps down her arms, exposing her breasts to the chill in the ear which caused both of her nipples to harden almost instantly.

"Hermione, you are exquisite." Draco hummed as he gazed over her exposed torso. Hermione felt a little exposed as he gazed at her hungrily but when their eyes met, his silver eyes burned with love and admiration that Hermione melted instantly.

Draco stepped forward slowly, his eyes not once leaving hers. His lips found hers and his hands lifted to cup a breast each. Hermione moaned into the kiss and arched her chest further into his hands. Pleasure was rippling through her as his fingers teased her hardened nipples. His hands travelled down her sides and his fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans for a moment before he unzipped them. Ripples of excitement coursed through her as he hooked his fingers in her waistband. He broke away from the kiss and stared into her eyes as he slowly slid the jeans down her legs. She was wearing emerald green French knickers made out of lace. Draco couldn't contain himself any more, he needed to touch her, he needed to feel her wriggle underneath him and hear his name bounce off of the walls. He picked her up around the waist, instinctively, her legs wrapped around him as her hands slid around her neck. He kissed her passionately as he walked towards the bed. They tumbled down with him landing on top of her. He trailed his lips along her collar bone, down her breasts making sure to pause at each nipple to give them some attention. Hermione whimpered underneath his tongue, her hips bucked as he bit down gently on one of the nipples. Her head was resting on the pillow underneath, her eyes shut in bliss. As Draco his lips further down her stomach. He kissed her the inner of her thighs and tauntingly hovered above her most intimate area which was throbbing and begging to be touched. He rose back and kissed her passionately, her hips rose towards him. He chuckled as he pulled her way, his hands sliding down her sides, his fingers played with the waistline of her knickers, he smirked at her.

"I think these need to come off too." He said seductively, she took his hint and lifted herself off of the bed so that he could pull them down and off of her legs, he flung them away and then sat back on his knees in between her legs. He placed his hands on her thighs and slowly parted her legs forcing her to display herself to him. Draco licked his lips as his eyes took in the sight in front of him. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Without warning, Draco leant forward and licked upwards once. Hermione gasped in shock as sparks exploded and spread quickly around the rest of her body, as Draco's tongue picked up speed, all she could focus on was the pleasure rocketing through her and how much she wanted him, she couldn't deny it or hide it any longer, she wanted him. Moan after moan escaped her lips as her hands gripped onto the bed sheets below them. With her eyes closed, she let Draco take her to heights she had never reached before, it was just him, her and the sensations she was experiencing. Tension built in her stomach causing the muscles to twitch and tighten, the feeling grew and grew until she suddenly toppled over the edge, the tension instantly releasing which caused every muscle in her body to sing out in harmony. She cried out Draco's name in ecstasy as her body twitched and her muscles vibrated. She slowly fluttered back to earth and opened her eyes to see Draco watching her intently.

"You are so beautiful my love." He whispered as he rose to his feet. He made quick work of his trousers but paused at his shirt. Hermione sat herself up straight, a questioning look on his face. Draco had just zoned out and was staring off into the distance, his hands frozen on his top button. She rose to her feet so she was standing in front of him, her hands gently cupped his.

"Hey." She whispered, she lifted one hand to tilt his chin so that he was looking at her. "It's okay." She whispered. Draco's eyes focused on her, a small smile teased the corners of his lips as he let himself focus on her.

"My mark, it's not pretty." He whispered. Hermione stretched up onto her tip toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. She removed his hands from his shirt and took over undoing the buttons. Draco watched her intently as her fingers slowly worked the fabric of his shirt off of his shoulders and down his arms. His heart hammered in his chest when the shirt fell to the floor. Hermione's hands gently look hold of his arm and turned it over. She looked at the mess of charred skin that was slowly starting to heal then looked up at him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"The night I arrived here, it just burned away." Draco explained, his eyes still stuck on her. Hermione stretched up and captured his lips with her own, it was her way of saying that his scar had no affect on her, she too had her scars. Draco wrapped his arms around her, he lifted her up and as her legs wrapped around him, he walked her back to the bed. He placed her down gently, leaving trail of kisses from her lips to her thighs before stepping back. She watched as he slipped out of his boxer shorts, his erection springing free and twitching in reaction to the sudden exposure to the cold air. Hermione licked her lips as his gaze met hers. His hand slowly wrapped around his cock and started to move up and down. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest as she watched his hand move. He tilted his head back with his eyes closed and grunted. Hermione felt the ache spread between her legs, growing quickly as the coil started to tighten again in the pit of her stomach, he was putting on a show for her knowing that it would drive her mad.

"Please Draco, I need you." Hermione purred a sentence that she never thought she would hear herself say, she parted her legs inviting him back onto the bed. Her hands rose to cup each breast and she squeezed tightly. Two could play at this game, she thought as Draco bit down onto his bottom lip. His eyes were open watching her as she trailed one hand down over her stomach and down lower until she was slowly stroking her index finger over her clit. Draco growled as he watched her tease herself in front of him. His cock twitched in his hand as she moaned loudly. He'd never seen a sight so tempting in his life, she looked like a Goddess with her mouth sightly open as she sighed in pleasure. He never thought he would be saying this about Hermione Granger but, he had to have her, he had to take her and claim her for his own right now.

He crawled up onto the bed with a primal look in his eye that made her heart thud with anticipation.

"I didn't hear you love, what did you say?" He asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"I need you Draco." She whispered once more, a part of her mind was trying to shout at her to stop and think about who she was about to be with but she quickly told it to shut up as her eyes met his once more. Draco smirked at her and decided that he would be kind and grant her wish. He thrust forward in one smooth motion until he was buried all the way inside of her, he revelled in the feel of her tight walls constricting around him. He leant forward and captured her lips as he started to pull out slowly, she moaned into the kiss when he thrust himself back inside of her and quickened his pace. He pulled away from her lips and watched her as her mouth hung open in an O shape. Each thrust directed towards her grew with intensity and soon he slamming into her with reckless abandon, their moans meeting in harmony and bouncing off the walls.

"You're mine Granger." Draco growled as he felt his balls tighten, he was about to blow.

"All yours, Draco." Hermione agreed, her sentence fading into a long moan. Draco gripped onto her hips and raised them higher, he continued pounding her roughly causing her shoulders to push into the bed. He was thankful he had thought to charm the room because the headboard of the bed was banging hard against the bedroom wall as a result of their bodies joining as one.

Draco tilted his head back as he felt a blinding pleasure sweep through him, his hips snapped against hers as she moaned, cried and shouted out his name. His eyes were fixed on her as her face twisted with pleasure. One of his hands slipped from her hips and flicked over her swollen clit. Hermione screamed into the air and it wasn't long before her walls were gripping his cock that was pumping into her with force. As her walls tightened around him, he lost control and they both came as they cried out each other's names.

Draco collapsed onto Hermione and slowly slipped out of her. He tried desperately to summon something to say but his brain had turned completely to mush, he rolled off her and after they quickly dove under the covers, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple.

"I love you." He whispered. "Be mine forever Hermione." He placed soft kisses on her temple and cheek making her giggle.

"I love you and I am yours, from this moment onwards I am only yours." Hermione replied, her heart leaping with joy. If she hadn't realised it before tonight she certainly knew it now, she was in love with Draco Malfoy and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	4. January 2003

**January 2003:**

It had been a few days since New Year's eve and Draco hadn't seen much of Hermione, she'd shut herself away again. He knew that this was one of the ways she coped with her grief but it didn't stop him from being wounded each time he sat up in the piano room alone. Was she ashamed of what they did? Did she regret the passion they had shared on New Year's Eve? He knew for a fact that he didn't. He'd had the best night of his life so far with her that night, it confirmed what he already knew; Hermione was his witch and she always would be.

He was sitting in the over-sized arm chair he had conjured into the piano room just stewing in his own thoughts when the door opened and Hermione entered. Her eyes were glues to the floor and her arms limp at her sides as she walked. Draco rose from his seated position and quickly crossed the room so that he was standing in front of her.

"What's happened?" He asked as he guided her towards the arm chair. She was mumbling to herself under her breath as she let herself be lead across the room. She sat down on the arm chair.

"Haven't you heard?" Hermione asked finally looking up at Draco. Her eyes haunted with pain. Draco shook his head, he perched on the seat next to her and brought his hand up to rub circles across her back. She choked on a tear and clamped her eyes shut. Draco's heart broke as he watched her sob to herself next to him. He wanted to press her for more information but thought it best to let her reveal it in her own time.

"The raid that was planned for today went wrong. Several members of the order have been hurt but..." She paused her sentence and looked towards Draco. "Ron was killed." She said weakly before she broke down once more. Draco pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head after a short while she straightened up. "Draco, they think that you sold us out." Hermione admitted at last with a sob, her eyes wide with panic and fear. Draco was taken back by her words. Anger started to rise within him which he had to quickly swallow. Any outburst like that would not help his case, especially if they are already suspicious of him. He knew it, he knew things had been going too well, things had been too good for him.

"I will just have to prove to them all that it wasn't me." He said confidently. Hermione smiled weakly despite tears still running down her cheeks.

"They're not going to be easy on you, they don't see you like I do." Hermione warned him. He nodded in understanding and his stomach dropped a little.

"I love you." He said softly, he brought his hands up to frame her face. "We'll get through this." He assured her. She smiled at him and nodded her head but he wasn't convinced that she believed him.

"I love you too." She replied as she leant forward to kiss him quickly. She desperately clung to the hope that the order would believe Draco, she was even willing to stand up as a witness if they did start to be fussy. She'd only just fallen in love with the man and she wasn't going to let them throw him to the wolves that easily.

* * *

"Draco Lucius Malfoy. Do you swear that everything you say is the truth?" Asked Harry Potter from his standing position opposite the Draco who was seated on one side of the long kitchen table whilst Harry, Ginny, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin sat the other. Draco had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, a few minutes prior to this interrogation had started, he had taken a potion that would forbid him from telling any lies.

"Seeing as I've just taken a potion to prevent lies, I'm pretty certain that I am going to speak the truth." He replied as he glared across the table at Potter who returned the glare.

"Mr Malfoy, since your arrival here have you left the building at any time?" Potter asked. Draco's heart thumped in his chest as he knew he was about to tell them about the times that he and Hermione had disguised themselves and escaped for periods of time, he looked over Potter's shoulder.

"Yes." He replied despite him not wanting to. All eyes were on him as they awaited further explanation. Harry eyed him with a smug smirk rising onto his lips.

"Mr Malfoy, can you tell us about the first time you left Grimmauld Place and what you did?" Potter asked, his hatred towards Draco shining in his green eyes. Draco swallowed the lump in his throat, Potter was not going to like this next story.

"It was the second week of December when the snow was falling, Hermione was watching out of the window and I suggested that we go and see it for ourselves. I charmed our appearances and we came up with muggle aliases. We then walked to the park and watched the people play in the snow before returning to Grimmauld Place." Draco was relieved when he finally finished speaking that he didn't have to tell the entire truth, he kept his first kiss with Hermione to himself. It was his memory and only his memory. He looked up at the looks of displeasure that faced him. Harry's face seethed with anger as he looked at his peer.

"Have there been any other occasions when you have left Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked, he was still watching Malfoy suspiciously, he made no secret of the fact that he didn't trust the guy. He knew that Malfoy was a powerful wizard and was sure that someone of his calibre could override the effects of a truth potion.

"Yes. Hermione and I travelled into muggle London, again in disguise, to watch the fireworks on New Year's Eve." Draco replied. Again he was happy to be able to leave out what else happened that night, they didn't need to know that once they had returned they spent the night in her bed admitting out loud and with their actions that they had quickly and whole heartedly fallen in love with each other. They continued to question him on the charms he used to disguise them and he even demonstrated their effect proving that they would not have been recognised by any one. He explained how he invented the charm and how it had saved him on more than one occasion when sneaking around the manor.

"Thank you for your honesty Mr Malfoy." Kingsley said. Draco rolled his eyes, he couldn't stop himself. "I just have one last question for you: Have you ever left Grimmauld Place without someone else with you?" He asked, watching and waiting for Draco's answer which was a simple no. Kingsley relaxed back into his seat, he no longer had any suspicion of Draco. He knew an innocent man when he saw one, he also knew a man in love when he saw one too.

"Thank you Mr Malfoy, we have all the information we need, you may go." Kingsley dismissed the youngest Malfoy with a flick of his hand. Draco stood up and left the room despite Potter's protest that he had more questions to ask. Draco walked smugly up the stairs and entered Hermione's room without knocking.

She sat up when she saw him enter the room and lock the door behind him, she placed the book she was reading on the night stand and smiled as Draco climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. She settled onto his chest and took a deep breath. She'd never felt safer than when she was in his arms. Draco retold her what had happened downstairs and apologised if he had gotten her into trouble. She shrugged her shoulders and waved it away. She was comfortable in his arms and let her eyes flutter closed. Draco whispering words of love in her ear was all she needed to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

The dreamless sleep didn't last long and Hermione had woken a total of three times that night all due to recurrent nightmares. Each time she awoke, she found comfort a security in Draco's arms as he soothed her until she had fallen back to sleep.

It was just after five in the morning when she slipped from the bed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She made herself a cup of tea and then took a seat at the table. She sat with the mug cupped in her hand and thought about Ron. Admittedly, she hadn't seen him much after being injured but it didn't stop her heart from grieving for the loss of a best friend. As she nursed her cup of tea, a slide show of memories from when they were all back in Hogwarts played in her mind. Her chest ached as she thought about the simpler times they all had back then.

"There you are." Draco said softly as he entered the kitchen. Hermione heard him enter but she didn't open her eyes to look at him. She remained where she was with her head bowed. Draco poured himself a coffee then moved to sit down next to her. "Hermione." He said more firmly this time. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Want to talk about it?" Draco asked as his eyes scanned her face. Tears were dried onto her cheeks leaving obvious evidence that she had been crying. He reached out a hand and took hold of one of hers.

"It's just not fair." Hermione muttered under her breath. Draco nodded, that he could agree with. He drained his coffee cup and put it down on the table. He took both of Hermione's hands in his own and guided her to stand.

"Come back to bed." He instructed her. She nodded and without argument, let him lead her back upstairs.

* * *

Draco was leaving the bathroom after having a shower when he was approached and stopped by Remus Lupin.

"Can we possibly borrow you for a moment?" He asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders and followed the older man down to the kitchen.

A sinking feeling set into his stomach as he walked in to the kitchen to see the same three people that conducted his original interrogation were seated at the table. Lupin indicated for Draco to sit opposite them and he did so without argument.

"Draco, we have called you in here to talk about your future with the order." Kingsley started to speak after a few moments of awkward silence. Draco's heart plummeted, this was it; He was being thrown out. "We would like to offer you a position in the Phoenix Squad as second in command." Kingsley finished and looked up to Draco who was staring at him with his mouth open wide, a look of pure shock written over his face.

"When you are not in battle, you can return here. That is unless you would like to move?" Kingsley asked, even thought he knew the answer would be a no, he still had to ask. He wasn't stupid, he knew that Draco and Hermione were growing close, after all, they have been mostly alone here for a very long time it was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

"Why me?" Draco asked. He was still trying to understand their reasoning of offering him the position when only a few days ago they were accusing him of being a traitor.

"It has not gone unnoticed that you are a very capable wizard and due to the passing of Mr Weasley, a position had opened up in that squad." Kingsley explained. Draco nodded, he had to admit that he was still in shock. This was not the conversation he expected to have when he was called down to the kitchen.

"You will start with a few weeks of intensive training at one of our training centres and then you can join the squad on missions, if you accept the position." Kingsley had a smile on his face as he watched Draco's expression change from shock, to confusion and then back to shock.

"Yeah, yes. I accept the position." Draco said at last. Kingsley clapped his hands together and stood up to shake Draco's hand. Draco was still trying to process this arrangement. He knew that he would fight out on the battle fields eventually, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon.

Once final details were confirmed Draco was dismissed from the kitchen. He hurried upstairs to find Hermione to tell her what had just gone down in the kitchen. He was still in disbelief as he lead her up to their third floor escape so they could talk.


	5. February 2003

**A/N: Smut warning. This story is Rated M for a reason. ;)**

 **Also, I'm going to try and stick to an update schedule of Tuesdays and Thursdays. As today is Tuesday, you guys can have a new chapter.**

 **Thank you for the awesome responses so far, if you have followed/favourited/reviewed you make my heart very happy.**

 **Read, Review and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **February 2003:**

Draco's training had been gruelling and exhausting but he had loved being back in the fight. It gave him a real reason to get up in the mornings and knowing Hermione would be waiting for him when he returned made every aching muscle seem worth it.

When Blaise died and he left the death eaters to join the order, Draco did not think that he would ever feel whole or happy again but in just a short few months, Hermione had entered his life and made him feel more than he had ever felt before, he didn't hurt when he was with her because the love that filled his soul burned too bright. She lifted him to heights he had never reached before and with every passing day, he fell more and more in love with the witch. He certainly knew that he could never live without her by his side. Blaise would laugh if he was around now, he would slap Draco on the back and brag about the fact he saw it coming all the way back when they were in Hogwarts and he had teased Draco for having a crush of Hermione in their fourth year after seeing her at the Yule Ball.

Draco stepped out of the fire place after another day of training. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that Hermione was sitting in her usual spot at the window. He approached her slowly and knelt down at her side.

"I'm home love." He informed her, stroking her hair softly. She turned her head slowly to look at him and smiled. "How are you feeling?" He asked. She had been feeling unwell over the last few days, she'd told him it was nothing to worry about and that she was fine but he still pressed on about her welfare, he hated it when she was unwell. It pained him that there was nothing he could do to make her better. Hermione smiled at him, her amber eyes creasing at the corners.

"I'm okay, I haven't felt so nauseated today so that is good." She replied with a smile. She leant forward and kissed him passionately. Draco melted into the kiss and rose to his feet so he could wrap his arms around her waist and lift her onto his chair so that she was straddling his lap.

Their tongues danced together and their hands explored their bodies. Hermione lived for the fire that Draco lit inside of her, she knew that she would never tire of the reactions that he could illicit from her.

Hermione pulled away from Draco and with a seductive glint to her eye, she slid off of his lap so she was on her knees in between his legs. Her nimble fingers made quick work of his zipper and soon she was releasing him from the restraints of his boxer shorts. He hissed as her tongue teased the tip of his cock, his hands gripped onto the arm of the chair as she took him into her mouth and started a steady rhythm of bobbing up and down. Draco leant his head back against the chair behind him and let out a low throaty growl as heat spread through him, all sensible thoughts flew out of his mind as everything turned the pleasure that radiated through him. His hands found their way to the back of her head and knotted into her hair. He slowly started to take over her movements, guiding her up and down and it wasn't long until she had relinquished all control to him and he was eagerly thrusting into her open and waiting mouth. He panted and groaned as he fucked her, a sensation of ultimate bliss passing through him. She moaned around his cock as her hand slipped down into her knickers and she teased her own clit.

"Hermione, I'm going to..." He started to warn her in a raspy growl but it was too late and he shot a thick load into the back of her throat. She made sure to swallow every drop before she rose to her feet, she slowly licked her lips her eyes fixed on his before she turned and walked out of the room, Draco watched her hips sway and knew exactly where she was going. The thought made him instantly start to harden again as he scrambled up off of the chair and followed his beautiful witch upstairs.

* * *

When the couple finally emerged from her bedroom and went downstairs they were greeted by the Weasley twins. Panic shot through Hermione as she made eye contact with the twins, had they heard them? Oh Merlin, this was embarrassing.

"Evening." Fred greeted them with a wink. Blush rose to Hermione's cheeks as she poured both her and Draco a coffee. They had thought they were alone so they hadn't bothered casting any silencing charms. Draco wore a smug smile on his face as he accepted the mug from Hermione. They hadn't been keeping their growing relationship a secret on purpose, they weren't ashamed of each other and the love that they shared, they just rarely saw people to make an official announcement, instead they were just waiting for people to find out. Hermione had hoped however they would have found out a different way rather than over hearing them in the bedroom.

"It's been a pretty tiring day hasn't it Fred?" George said as he looked to his brother standing beside him. Both twins were leaning against one of the kitchen counters with matching grins on their faces.

"I don't know George why don't you ask Draco?" Fred replied with a wink. Hermione shrunk down in her seat as embarrassment set in. She wasn't a very open person, some things were private for a reason and they should stay that way. Draco smiled at her as he watched her cheeks glow red, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he knew that he would never tire of watching her.

"It's okay guys, your secret is safe with us." George said quietly. Fred nodded in agreement. "Any way, it was you we wanted to see Draco." George put down his coffee cup and the twins both took a seat at the table.

"There's a mission coming up, one that could change the future of this war and we are in charge of selecting a team." Fred began to explain. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest and the nausea that had been haunting her for days returned in the pit of her stomach, she didn't like where this was going.

"It has come to our attention that you are gifted in charms, more specifically charms that alter ones appearance." George finished. Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat, she didn't want to be a part of this conversation but she also didn't want to leave. She was glued to her chair, she knew that Draco would be called up for missions soon, but she hoped they would be smaller than the one that Fred and George were currently briefing him on.

"So, are you in?" Fred asked, he extended his hand out for Draco to shake. Hermione watched with wide eyes as Draco looked at her with an almost apologetic look in his eyes and then extended his hand out to Fred's.

"Count me in." He replied with a nod. Fred and George beamed at him pleased that they'd managed to get him on board. His skill set could prove to be invaluable to them over the next few months as they approached what they hoped would be the end of this horrific war.

Fred and George said their goodbyes and promised that they would be in touch soon before they left Grimmauld Place leaving Hermione and Draco alone once more.

* * *

As Draco's first mission drew closer, Hermione's anxiety continued to grow. She had attended any meeting that Draco had attended and she had studied the plans over and over. Part of her was enjoying working for the order once more, knowing that her knowledge and skills were being put to use brought a new life into her, however, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, something bad was going to happen. She also couldn't shake the overwhelming tiredness and regular sickness she had been experiencing.

Draco was out on a training session with the newly formed squad that was yet to be named and Hermione had set herself up in their third floor escape with a rusty cauldron that she had to wash twice before she deemed it safe to use and a selection of ingredients Dobby had fetched for her that morning. She had a book open beside her and was being careful to follow every instruction to the letter. She stirred with potion with deep concentration, she could not afford to mess this up; She only had one set of ingredients.

She finished stirring the potion 25 times counter-clockwise and removed the spoon. If she had done everything correctly, the potion should be ready.

"Your finished potion should be presenting as a silvery grey and bubbling at a rate of one bubble roughly every ten seconds." Hermione read out loud to herself, her eyes glued to the potion. It was indeed a silvery grey and it was bubbling. She counted the time between the bubbles and released a breath she did not realise she was holding. She'd done it. She rested back on her feet and took a deep breath. She watched the potion bubble slowly with nervous circling her body, the familiar nausea that she was starting to become accustomed to plagued her stomach and she was sure that the heat in the room wasn't helping the headache that was starting to develop. She took a deep breath and leant forward once more. She continued to read the page in front of her, she didn't need to read it again, she'd memorised it already but she thought that reading about what she needed to do next might calm her nerves slightly, it didn't work. If anything the more she dragged this out, the worse she was getting. She nodded to herself and plucked a single hair from her head. With her breath held, she dropped the hair into the potion and braced herself for what the silvery grey liquid was going to show her.

* * *

"Draco?" Hermione whispered into his ear, he was lying on top of her attempting to catch his breath after their spontaneous love making she had started after waking up in the early hours of the morning needing to pee.

"Yes love?" Mumbled in reply, a haze still lingering over his mind.

"You're going to be a father." Hermione whispered, she opted to just come out and say it rather than beat around the bush. Nerves bubbled in her stomach as she scanned Draco's face to judge his initial reaction.

"Lovely." He said nonchalantly, his eyes not even opening. Hermione frowned, this was not one of the reactions that had been playing on repeat in her mind most of the day. Suddenly, she felt a breeze of cold air pass over her exposed breasts. Draco had straightened up so his knees were either side of her.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" He questioned, a look of confusion setting in on his face. Hermione found it quite difficult to keep a straight face, he just simply looked adorable when he was confused.

"You're going to be a father." She repeated, albeit a little louder this time. Draco stared at her open mouthed. Hermione chuckled, she could physically see the cogs turning in his brain.

"You're..." He stuttered as he pointed his index finger towards her stomach.

"Pregnant." Hermione finished for him, a grin on her face. Draco pointed to himself and then back to Hermione, a dumbfounded look still on his face.

"A baby?" He asked, his face twisting with confusion. Hermione laughed.

"I hope so." She replied. Draco continued to stare at her for a few moments before he rolled off of her and propped himself up beside her.

"Are you being serious?" He asked as they both wriggled underneath the covers.

"Yes, Draco. We're going to have a baby." Hermione repeated once more. Draco's mouth broke out into a grin and he leant forward to place multiple kisses on her face. She squealed and wiggled against him in an attempt to push him away. They were both laughing when Draco pulled her into his arms and she snuggled in towards his chest. If someone had told him five years ago that he would run away from the Death Eater's join the Order of the Phoenix, fall in love with Hermione Granger and they would have a child together he would have laughed in their face and waved them away. Yet here he was with Hermione Granger in his arms, pregnant with his child and he would not have it any other way. He kissed the top of his girlfriend's head as his heart fluttered inside of his chest.

"Hermione?" He whispered softly. She lifted her head to look at him, her amber eyes twinkling in the dim light of the room. "You're going to marry me one day." He said to her confidently. She beamed up at him.

"If you say so." She said with a chuckle as she settled back down on his chest. "I love you." She told him. Draco leant his head back against his pillow and sighed happily.

"I love you." He replied. As he closed his eyes, the worries of his first mission with the order were far, far away instead, he dreamt of a child that was soon to be his.

* * *

Hermione knew that Draco had had a bad day from the minute he for back to Grimmauld Place and she could hear him stomping up the stairs all the way from the kitchen to the fourth floor where she was waiting for him. He barged through the door and instantly strode over to her. His eyes burned with desire as he leant forward to capture her lips with his own. When they broke away for breath, Hermione smiled at him.

"Bad day at the office?" She asked him with a teasing glint in her eyes. Her heart was hammering in her chest and a wetness has instantly formed between her thighs. Draco sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap so that her legs were bent either side of his waist. As he ranted about his day, Hermione traced patterns in his chest with her finger, something she knew that turned him on.

"You're not helping." He grunted. Hermione looked up at him with an innocent smile on her face, she slowly sucked on her bottom lip, chewing on it slightly. Draco growled at her. She could feel his erection against her thigh and knew that she was getting him worked up.

"You know what that does to me." He mumbled as his lips found her neck. She tilted her head back and moaned lightly as his teeth grazed her sensitive skin. He pulled away from her his eyes narrowed slightly, his breathing staggered. "If you continue this, I won't be gentle." He warned her. Hermione's heart skipped with excitement and she felt a tingling between her thighs.

"What if I don't want you to be gentle?" She whispered to him as she bit down once more on her bottom lip. Draco's already hard cock twitched in his pants and he thought he was going to lose it there and then.

"Stand up." He instructed her. She smiled at him as she shuffled off his leg and stood proudly in front of him. Draco was gentle and loving most of the time but when he was like this, this was something different for them both. Excitement ran through Hermione as she watched Draco watch her. "Strip." He told her and without hesitation, Hermione slowly started to remove her clothing. Draco leant back against the sofa as he watched his beautiful girlfriend slowly strip in front of him. He watched her as she slowly unclasped her bra and slid the straps down her arms. Draco removed his wand from his pocket and waved it around. A plush white rug appeared just behind Hermione who gasped in awe. Draco discarded his wand and looked back at his now naked girlfriend who was waiting for her next instruction like the obedient little girl she was.

"Lie down on the rug. Display yourself for me." He instructed next. Hermione nodded and did as he said without argument. Draco licked his lips as he watched her bend her knees and open her legs, displaying to him her soaking wet core. He shed his own clothes before he sat back down. Hermione whimpered at the lack of attention and instruction. Draco chuckled.

"Oh my love, you are just so beautiful I needed a moment to enjoy the view you have given me. If you feel you need it that badly, don't hesitate to start putting on a show." Draco informed and hinted to her as his hand slowly moved up and down his cock. Hermione lifted her head up, her eyes falling onto where he was using his own hand to pleasure herself. She licked her lips as he made her watch him. Her own hand travelled to her breasts and she started to twist and pull at her hardened nipples, the action making long moan stretch from her mouth.

"Does it feel good to touch yourself baby girl?" Draco asked, his voice low and seductive. Hermione moaned in response as one hand travelled down and a finger of hers started circling her clit. Draco gasped as she started to get herself off, on the floor right in front of him. She wriggled her hips as her orgasm drew closer. Draco watched intently for the signs that she was going to tip over the edge and waited for that moment before making her stop and place her hands on the floor. She whimpered as he rose to his feet and fell to his knees in between her legs. He grabbed her hips and roughly pulled her towards him. "You are the most beautiful woman on this planet." He told her as he lined up with her entrance and without warning thrust himself inside of her. She cried out as she comfortably took all of him. She mewled as she enjoyed the feeling of him inside of her. He slammed into her over and over, the sound of their moans and cries filling the air around them as he pounded away at his girlfriend who rose her hips to meet his every thrust. Draco used her body to release all of his frustrations. As her heat enveloped him and reminded him that she would always be there for when he needed her. He looked down at Hermione who had her eyes closed in bliss. He knew that she was getting close once more but he wasn't done with her yet. He leaned forward so that his mouth was near her ear. "Get onto your hands and knees." He whispered the instruction to her before he pulled out and waited impatiently for her to follow his instruction. She hurried to get herself into position, her heart racing and and tension building that she desperately wanted to released from. Draco poised himself behind her and with one hand tangled into her hair and the other on her hip, he roughly thrust into her. Hermione gasped as he started to pump into her from behind. He was reaching places he'd never reached before, that no one had reached before. She couldn't help but cry out as pleasure consumed her and sent every muscle into spasm. Draco could feel her walls tighten around him as her climax washed over her. His hips snapped against hers, the sound of her mewls, his growls and the slapping of their skin echoed around the room and Draco took a moment to thank Merlin that they always kept this room soundproof. His stomach muscles started to spasm as he felt himself teetering on the edge. Hermione was moaning his name, panting and crying out in pleasure as he felt his balls tighten and ready themselves. Wave after wave of pleasure shot through him as his climax shook his to his core. He slowed his strokes down.

"You are so exquisite Hermione, my love." Draco mumbled as he came down from his high. He placed soft kisses onto Hermione's back before she slumped face down on the rug, her breathing was heavy, here eyes shut and a satisfied smile on her lips. Draco laid down on his side beside her, his eyes watching her as she revelled in her post euphoria bliss. His heart threatened to burst in his chest as he reached a hand out to stroke her hair.

"I love you Draco." She whispered without opening her eyes. Draco leant forward and kissed her temple.

"I love you too." He replied softly.


	6. March 2003

**A/N: Apologies for not updating yesterday but I was in London at a concert so instead this week is update Friday! Enjoy**

* * *

 **March 2003:**

Hermione's days pretty much consisted of cleaning the old house repeatedly, eating and throwing up. She'd run some calculations and calculated that she was roughly six weeks pregnant and that her due date would be early November.

She was dusting in the living room when Harry appeared in the door way. Hermione greeted him cheerfully, she hadn't even realised they were back. She put down her duster and smiled up at him, it was when she looked at him that she instantly knew something was wrong.

"What's happened?" She asked as she wiped her hands on a cloth. His green eyes sung a song of sadness. Harry had been through far too much than a 23 year old should ever go through and it showed in the lines on his face and the bags underneath his eyes.

"I think you should come downstairs." He said quietly. Hermione's hear dropped as panic started to rise within here. She'd seen so many people be called down to the kitchen and it was never good news. She followed Harry silently and was met with the Order's highest ranked soldiers.

"I think you should take a seat." Harry suggested as he walked behind her and went to join Fred and George who were purposely avoiding her eye contact.

"What is going on?" She asked as she took Harry's advice and sat down. She looked around the solemn faces in the room and couldn't help but notice that someone was missing. She gasped out loud when she realised that it was Draco. Her heart instantly started the thud in her chest and a wave of nausea washed over her. "Where is he?" She asked, she looked directly to Harry.

"Hermione, Draco ran off when the mission was hijacked." Harry spoke as if he didn't want to tell her what was going on, his eye contact kept flicking between her and Remus who was standing near by. As soon as the words sunk into Hermione's mind, anger started to rise within her.

"He was seen fleeing the scene with a couple of known death eaters Hermione." Remus finished for Harry who was obviously struggling to find his words. Hermione placed her hands on the table in front of her and slowly rose to her feet. Harry instinctively took a step back, he could see the anger starting to build in her eyes and he knew that it wasn't to be messed with.

"I don't believe you." She growled across the table, she kept her gaze locked onto Harry who was suddenly looking very nervous. She could see the sweat starting to form along his hair line as he wiped his hands on his trousers. "Do you want to know why I don't believe you?" She asked but she did not give anyone time to answer her. "Rhetorical question because I'm going to tell you why." She was seething, her chest rose and fell with the deep breaths she was taking to try and keep a cool head on. She knew that losing her temper would not help the situation, they were hiding something from her, something about Draco and why he hadn't returned home with them and she was going to find out why. "Draco would not run back to the death eaters and I know that because he and I have been in a relationship." She paused and looked around the room to gauge people's reactions. Most people's faces told a tale of shock accept for Fred and George Weasley who already knew about her and Draco, they instead were trying hard not to smile. They too knew that Draco running off was bullshit and they were proud of Hermione for calling the Order out on it. Hermione waited for any one to offer up something to say but they all stayed quiet so she continued. "We made it official on New Year's Eve and a week ago we found out that I am pregnant." Hermione announced. There was an audible gasp from most of the people in attendance. Hermione didn't give them a chance to react properly, instead she kept talking. "So I know that this tale your trying to spin is bullshit and I think you're trying to tell me that Draco ran off because you can't be bothered to actually find out what happened to him because if you find out he has been captured then you have to go through the ball ache of rescuing him. Well guess what Potter, you are going to find out what happened to him and you are going to find him and return him to me because my baby is not growing up without a father." Hermione finished by slamming her fist onto the table making Harry and a couple of other people jump. She stood up straight, her eyes narrowed at Harry as she waited for a response. Anger ran through her blood stream as she looked around the room, she lifted her hands up as an offer for anyone to object to her but no one did.

"You heard her guys, an investigation to the whereabouts of Draco Malfoy is to be launched immediately, use all resources available to us to ensure that he returns safely." Harry instructed his team who nodded in response and one by one left to start their work. When it was only Harry and Hermione left, Hermione sat back down. With her anger fading, it made way for the feeling of loss to rise. As the seconds passed, her heart broke a little bit more. Draco was missing. He wasn't coming home. She leant her elbows onto the table and put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry Hermione." He said softly as he too sat down. "It wasn't my idea to lie, I wanted to go after him but the majority did not." He explained. Hermione did not respond, she wasn't really listening to his pathetic excuses, her mind was distracted with images of Draco lying dead in a wasteland somewhere and her having to raise their child without him.

"I will find him Hermione." Harry promised from across the table. Hermione again, sis not respond, she didn't want to talk to anyone right now. She stood up.

"I'm sorry Harry, I need to be alone right now." She explained to him before she turned, left the kitchen and made her way up to her bedroom.

* * *

When Draco came to, he instantly recognised where he was. He was strapped to a high back chair in the middle of the ballroom that belonged to the Nott family.

Draco hissed as he came face to face with Mr Nott, Theo's father.

"Hello Draco, it's been a while." Mr Nott wore a sadistic grin as he moved closer to Draco who just snarled at him in response. "I must say, we had all presumed you dead. You're mother has been in pieces." Mr Nott taunted Draco as he used his mother as leverage. Draco did not rise to the bait, instead he just glared at the man in front of him. "But then I heard a report that you had been sighted on the battle field and I just had to go and see for myself if the rumour was true. So I turn up and low and behold, there you are. Fighting for the order, wearing their uniform with pride. It sickened me." The older man had straightened up and started to pace backwards and forwards in front of his captive. "It was easy to capture you Draco, all I had to do was don a face of an old friend of yours and you were mine." He explained. He stopped pacing and faced Draco.

"I've thought long and hard about what to do with you Draco. Should I call your father? should I call the Dark Lord? But then I remembered Draco how you snuck into this very house and murdered my son in cold blood. So I decided that I'm going to keep you for myself." Mr Nott laughed as Draco thrashed against his restraints, hate seething from him as he glared at Mr Nott. "So Draco, where have you been hiding?" Mr Nott asked, his gaze focused on Draco. His hands reached out and he pressed his fingers against Draco's temple.

Draco growled as he prepared his mind to fight off an intrusion, it wasn't long before he could feel Mr Nott attempting to break down the barriers Draco had put up. Draco focused all of his strength on imagining tall iron gates. He didn't know how long he had been protecting his mind when he felt Mr Nott give up and leave his head.

"I see your aunt taught you well Draco, never mind we will just have to weaken you first." He said with a shrug. He stepped back a few paces and drew his wand from inside his robes. He pointed it towards Draco.

"Crucio." He growled, his sadistic smile once again rising to his lips. Blinding pain shot through Draco's body causing him to go rigid in his chair. It felt as if every nerve ending in his body had erupted into a raging blaze of fire. This was not the first time he had experienced the affects of the Cruciatus curse so he knew what he needed to do, he needed to clear his mind. He needed to remove himself from his body. He clamped his eyes shut and attempted to gain control of his laboured breathing, he needed to gain control. The ballroom around him faded away and instead he was standing in the room on the fourth floor of Grimmauld Place, the pain of the curse spreading through his veins forgotten as he walked towards the dusty piano and ran his hand along the top.

"Does it hurt Draco?" A voice asked from across the room. Draco looked up to see Blaise walking towards him with a large grin on his face. Draco stared at his friend for a moment before he shook his head.

"Blaise, what are you doing here?" He asked. Blaise shrugged his own shoulders.

"This is your sanctuary Draco." He pointed out. Draco nodded. "I guess I'm here to distract you from what's going in in your life at the moment." Blaise took a seat in the over sized arm chair and crossed one leg over the other. Draco took a seat on the piano stool, a lightness spreading through his heart as he watched his best friend. "Hermione Granger eh? Can't help but say I told you so mate." Blaise teased. Draco smiled as he thought of Hermione.

"She's pregnant Blaise." Draco spoke with a warm smile on his face. "She's actually pregnant with my child." He shook his head, he was still a little shocked about that.

"Congratulations Draco." Blaise wished his friend, he was happy for his best friend. He had found happiness against all of the odds and now all he had to do was get through this, and he would be off to live his life with his girl and his child in peace.

The pair of friends made small talk, Draco filled Blaise in on what had been happening despite Blaise already knowing, he didn't tell Draco that though. Draco did not know how long he had been in his third floor escape with Blaise when he felt the pull towards his waking state.

"I don't want to go." Draco said in a panic, his eyes open wide as he looked to Blaise who rose to his feet. He walked over to Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Be brave Draco, you have something worth fighting for." He said softly as the room started to fade out around him. Draco desperately tried to hold on to the image but the harder he tried, the quicker it faded until all he saw was black. He slowly opened his eyes to see Mr Nott looming over him.

"There, I have a feeling that might have loosened you up a bit, let's see shall we?" He said as he reached forward and once again placed his fingers on Draco's temple. Draco was ready for him and this time, when Mr Nott attempted to enter his mind he was thrown backwards with an invisible force. Draco growled as he watched the man scamper to his feet.

"You're going to regret that boy!" He threatened as his rose his wand once more. "Crucio." He spat. Blinding pain hit Draco square in the chest and radiated throughout the rest of his body. He cried out in agony, the sound echoing around the ballroom. He clamped his eyes shut and slowly the ballroom, pain and Mr Nott started to fade and were once again replaced by his third floor escape.

"Welcome back my friend." Blaise greeted from the arm chair. "I take it Mr Nott couldn't gain access to your mind again?" He asked, a proud smile on his face. Draco shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the piano stool, neither of the men said anything for many moments.

"What's it like? Dying?" Draco asked. Blaise shook his head.

"Like falling asleep, only when you wake up again, you're not where you were before and that's all I'm going to say because you are not drying Draco. Not tonight, not any time soon." Blaise said a stern expression on his face. Draco shrugged, he wasn't so sure about that himself. Blaise hadn't seen the raw and pure hatred that shone in Mr Nott's eyes but Draco had.

Draco wanted to ask Blaise more questions but he felt a force pulling him away, he reached his hand out towards Blaise who just waved with a warm smile on his face.

"Fight Draco, you have to fight." Were the last words that Draco heard before he was snapped back into the ballroom and once again face to face with a furious Mr Nott.

Mr Nott was about to try and search through Draco's mind once more when he was interrupted by a house elf who had a note in his hand.

"Master Nott." It squeaked, with its head bowed, he outstretched a thin arm to hold the letter up. Mr Nott snatched it from him and turned his back on the elf who simply hurried out of the ballroom paying no attention to Draco who was watching it intently.

"Looks like it's your lucky day boy." Mr Nott said after a few moments. "I have to attend to this. I'll have the elves set you up downstairs, and don't try anything Draco, I have your wand and you will not be able to escape this place without it." He warned before he turned his back on Draco and strode out of the ballroom. Draco leant his head back against his chair. His muscles ached and his head was pounding, he knew he shouldn't give in to the overwhelming exhaustion that swept over him but he couldn't help it. His eyelids grew heavier by the second and soon the world had faded to black.

* * *

It was two days before Hermione appeared downstairs. Ginny and Mrs Weasley were chatting in the kitchen, both of them stopped talking when they saw her standing there.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered. She rose to her feet slowly and guided her friend to a chair.

"You're back." Hermione mumbled as she looked at Ginny with blank eyes. Ginny smiled at her.

"I got Harry to release me from my duties for the short term, I thought you might need a friend around here." Ginny explained as she sat down next to Hermione. A feeble smile rose to Hermione's lips. She hadn't seen Ginny properly for a long time and she was looking forward to having her around again.

"Welcome to hell." Hermione muttered to Ginny. The last 48 hours had been torture for her, she'd barely slept a wink and if she ate anything, she was sick right away. Her heart shattered in her chest radiating pain throughout her body. Whenever she heard a movement in the house, she jumped up hoping that it was Draco returning home to her, she was left disappointed every time. There had been no news as to his whereabouts and some were now classing the case as a murder investigation. Hermione just couldn't think like that. She knew he was alive; She could feel his soul calling out to hers, it sounded stupid but she just knew that he was alive.

She accepted the tea from Mrs Weasley who explained that it was a ginger tea to help with the morning sickness. Hermione smiled weakly as she sipped on the tea. Ginny and Mrs Weasley continued their conversation with Hermione just sitting on the sidelines, far away in her own little world where Draco wasn't missing and she wasn't broken.

Once she had finished her tea, she thanked Mrs Weasley and excused herself so she could go upstairs. She found herself walking in to the living room and she sat herself down in her armchair. Her eyes fell on to the empty chair beside her as she tucked her legs up towards her chest. The dull ache in her chest had become a permanent fixture to her now, she thought about Draco and how their love had started with these two chairs. She'd fallen in love with the Draco that spent hours sitting in silence next to her, knowing that she didn't want to speak but craved the company, the Draco that fixed up the old piano in a dusty spare room and turned that room into an escape where they could both go to when they needed a breather from life. She hadn't been brave enough to go up their since his disappearance, she just couldn't face the thought of him not being there.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Ginny was bringing her up a plate of food. Hermione accepted it gratefully. Ginny hovered for a moment but when Hermione didn't speak to her, she headed back out of the room. Hermione sighed to herself, she didn't mean to be rude to Ginny, she just needed to alone to process her thoughts. She knew that she needed to pull herself out of this rut but at the present time, she did not have the strength. She ate her meal as she watched the sun sun over Grimmauld Place, her heart ached as she thought about Draco. Where was he? Was he safe?

* * *

Draco was sitting with his back against the exposed wall of his cell. He was being kept in a section of the cellar underneath Nott Manor. Draco wondered how many people had been locked down here before him. There was no natural light, instead a oil lamp that was charmed to be on for twelve hours a day and off for the other twelve hovered just below the ceiling in the middle of the room. An old creaky camp bed was pushed against one side of the wall and there was a bare toilet which barely flushed on the other wall. There was nothing else. With his wand being taken from him, he had no way of making things better for himself, he was left just to stew in his own thoughts desperately trying to keep track of the light cycles to calculate how long he had been captive here. Had it been days? Had it been months? He wasn't too sure, the whole situation didn't quite feel real. Like he was trapped in some sort of dream state.

Once a day, a tray of food and a few bottle of water would be brought down and slid through the bars of his cell by a house elf which avoided eye contact with Draco and never spoke a word. Draco didn't recognise the elf, it wasn't one of the ones he used to see when he was a kid.

Draco spent most of his time sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. His knees bent and his head bowed. After being chucked down here, he was sure that Mr Nott was going to come back for more, but he didn't. As each 24 hour cycle passed, Draco was undisturbed apart from the house elf that fed him daily. Draco had tried to ask the house elf where Mr Nott was but as usual, the house elf just ignored him. He probably knew that there was nothing Draco could do to him from his prison so there was no point giving in to his threats.

Draco closed his eyes and focused on the one thing that got him through his days: Hermione. Every since his arrival here, he had been trying to open up a link between them, a way to reach her but he had failed every attempt. His brain had been working in over load trying to come up with a way to contact her without his wand. He was skilled in occlumency and legilimens but he'd only ever performed it when someone was near him, he had never before attempted to enter someone's mind when they were hundreds of miles away, it seemed impossible but Draco kept trying. He had to reach her, he could feel her in his soul, they were connected he just needed to work out how to broaden that connection so they could communicate before Mr Nott returned from wherever he had disappeared to.


	7. June 2003

**A/N: I would like to apologise for the delay in updates, I've had a very busy few days. Have a double update to make up for it.**

 **Read, Review, Enjoy.**

* * *

 **June 2003:**

Some days were better than others. Hermione spent most of them sitting in her arm chair, reverting back to how she was before Draco entered her life. She had life growing inside of her and she knew that it should bring her joy but all it brought her was more heartache. She rested her hand on her small bump as she stared at the empty arm chair beside her. Draco had been missing for forteen weeks and three days. Harry had had a search team out looking for him, they were working tirelessly and he had been popping in every few days to keep her updated, not that there was much for her to be updated on. She appreciated him trying though, it was nice to know that Draco wasn't forgotten, that she wasn't forgotten. She had cried a lot over the last six weeks and three days, it seemed to her that she was always crying about something. So much so that it was starting to piss her off.

"Hermione." Remus Lupin called out softly for her from in the room behind her. She didn't turn around. She wasn't really in the mood to speak to anyone, especially not him. She rolled her eyes when she saw him sit down in Draco's chair. "How are you?" He asked. Hermione scoffed. She was sick of people asking her how she was, especially Remus. He was the one that told Harry to report that Draco had run off, that he had returned to the Death Eaters, he was one of the ones who thought that Draco wasn't worth saving.

"When are you going to speak to me?" He asked. Hermione just shook her head, she had no words to give the man. Lupin sighed sadly, he hadn't meant to hurt her, he hadn't meant it to seem like Malfoy wasn't worth saving. He watched as Hermione stared straight out of the window. She looked strong until you looked into her eyes. Her eyes sung a tune of complete sadness. Her eyes told the tale of a woman who had been at war, who had lost at the hands of war.

"I'm sorry Hermione. We will find him." He told her before he rose to his feet. Hermione didn't acknowledge him as he left the room, once she was certain that he was gone she let out a shaky breath. Tears sprung to her eyes as sobs consumed her once more. She missed Draco so much, every thing seemed different with him gone, the days seemed shorter, the nights seemed longer. When he was with her: She saw in colour, she had hope in her heart, she had love in her life. With him gone: She was empty. She lifted her wand from the coffee table next to her and pointed to her stomach. She muttered a spell through her tears and seconds later her baby's heartbeat filled the room. She focused on her breathing as she let the sound of her baby's heartbeat wash over her. It was the only thing left in her life that she was fighting for.

* * *

"Hermione! You're bump is really showing now!" Ginny explained as Hermione walked towards the table with their lunches in her hands. She smiled as she placed the plates down on the table and sat down. In the last week or so, her belly had popped out and it was obvious to anyone who saw her that she was pregnant. She kind of liked it; She liked that there was now physical evidence that she was growing life inside her womb.

"How far along are you?" Ginny asked as she tucked into her sandwich.

"Twenty Four weeks tomorrow." Hermione replied just picking at her food. Thinking about her blossoming pregnancy was bitter sweet for her. She loved being pregnant, knowing that her body was growing life after an act of complete love lifted her soul but at the same time made her heart hurt, she missed Draco terribly, the ache for his return just as painful now as it was twelve weeks ago when he first went missing.

The subject of the two girls' conversation quickly changed and they made small talk as they ate. They were just finishing up when the front door slammed and they were joined in the kitchen moments later by Harry, who leant against the door frame to catch his breath. He looked over to Hermione.

"Draco. We've found Draco." He informed her. Hermione jumped up from her seat, her heart pounding and her head spinning. One of her hands flew to her mouth whilst the other flew to her bump. "A rescue mission is beginning as we speak. They're planning to take him to Shell Cottage so I've come to take you both there, Tonks and Lupin are on their way to hold the fort here." Harry straightened up and after he had finished sharing his information, he walked over to Ginny and engulfed her in a bear hug.

Hermione's knees weakened as she processed the information that had just been given to her. They'd found Draco and they were rescuing him as they spoke. She looked down at her bump as a tiny fluttering sensation spread throughout her lower stomach. She clamped her eyes shut in an attempt to stop her tears from flowing but it was no use, when she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry from the build up of water. She blinked a few times to clear them.

"I'm going to see him?" She asked as she looked from Harry to Ginny who were both wearing broad grins. They both nodded eagerly. Hermione shook her head, she had been longing to see him for so long and now the moment was finally going to arise and she was buzzing with anticipation. She slowly rose to her feet and walked towards Harry.

"Can we leave now?" She asked. Harry nodded and with one hand on her shoulder and the other on Ginny's shoulder, he apparated them to the outskirts of Shell Cottage.

Hermione gasped as they walked over the sand dune that then revealed a wonky cottage literally on the edge of the beach. The sun was shining brightly in the pale blue sky. Hermione inhaled the fresh sea air feeling the lightest she had in weeks. She followed Harry inside of the cottage and smiled when she saw Fleur Weasley waiting for them in the kitchen. The two women hugged quickly and were shown to sit down at the round kitchen table. They were offered tea and briefed about the ongoing mission. Hermione's leg kept shaking, it was her body's way of expelling the excess energy that had built up in anticipation of Draco's return. Each moment that passed brought her a moment closer to his arms, to him, to a life together with him, a long and happy life just them and their child. All that was left was to sit and wait.

* * *

After a while, Hermione decided to go for a walk on the beach. She stood and watched the tide repeatedly roll in over the sand, her mind picturing a small child with white blonde hair splashing around in the shallow waters. She was so lost in her daydream that at first she didn't hear the voice calling her name from up the beach behind her. It was only after a few calls did her brain twig that someone was addressing her, it only took once more after that for her to realise who it was. She spun around on the spot to see Draco walking towards her. She gasped as tears instantly sprung to her eyes, these were not tears of sadness, they were tears of relief. He walked towards her with a huge smile on his pale lips. His skin was ghost white, a beard had formed on his jawline and his hair was long and matted. He wore a muggle pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Obviously borrowed from the supply at Shell Cottage. Hermione shook her head in disbelief as he stopped in front of her. She lifted her hands to cup his face. Her fingers lightly traced his worn features as she stared at him in disbelief.

"It's really you." She whispered. Draco nodded, tears started to fill his own eyes and for the first time in what felt like years, Hermione's lips came in contact with his. He kissed her hungrily, his arms pulling forward to wrap around her waist whilst hers slid around his neck. He could feel the dampness from her tears but he did not care, he had to feel her to truly believe that this was real and not another one of his dreams. The couple finally parted and Draco's hands slid round to Hermione's bump. He leant down slowly and placed a lingering kiss on her belly button. She beamed at him as he stood up slowly and laced his hands with hers.

"Hermione Granger, I love you." He confessed through his tears.

"Draco Malfoy, I love you too." She replied through tears of her own. Draco stepped back and his eyes fell to Hermione's rounded stomach. He gasped as his flicked back up to hers. She was smiling at him softly, her eyes twinkling with a happiness he once thought that he would never see again.

"How much have I missed?" He asked, his voice croaky and low. Hermione's heart broke as she watched him slowly lift his hands and place them on his bump.

"I'm Twenty Four weeks gone." Hermione whispered to him as she placed her own hands over his. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she felt their baby start to wake up. She could feel the little one wriggling around she looked into Draco's eyes, they were wide with amazement and awe, he too could feel his child moving around.

"She knows you're here." Hermione whispered softly. She leant forward and pecked Draco's lips with her own. They both had tears rolling down their cheeks as Draco stood, his hands glued to Hermione's bump just feeling his child wriggle and kick from inside the womb.

"Amazing." He muttered to himself, for so long, he had been dreaming of this moment. He had imagined Hermione with a growing bump for so long and now she was here, in front of him and it was real. He hadn't thought he could be more attracted to his witch than he already was, but seeing her stomach swell due to the new life she was growing, it made him ache for her in ways he never imagined possible.

* * *

That night Draco slept, properly slept for the first time in nearly four months. With Hermione in his arms and a hand protectively on her bump, he dreamed of a future where there was no war, just love, hope and happiness surrounding all of them.

When he awoke, he panicked slightly his mind taking a few moments to remember where he was. Once he had digested his surroundings, he started to calm down. He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A bright stream of sunlight crept in from underneath the curtains which lead Draco to believe that it was the middle of the day. He stretched out his tired legs and climbed out of bed. He'd been supplied with some muggle clothes for the short while which he honestly didn't mind too much, most of it was much too big for him, he had lost a lot of weight during his time as a captive. A prisoner of war, Kingsley had called him last night upon his return to the Order's safe house. A prisoner of war. Draco scoffed to himself as he got dressed. Draco was not a prisoner of war, he was a prisoner of life.

Once dressed, Draco went downstairs in search of Hermione, he found her tucked up on the sofa with a book in her hands. He stood in the door way and watched as her facial expressions changed as she read completely unaware that she was no longer alone.

"You are just so beautiful." Draco said out loud, a warm smile on his own face. Hermione looked up from her book, her cheeks tinted red as she smiled up at him, his heart fluttered as he watched her put down her book and rise to her feet. He opened his arms out wide for her to step inside, she did so and rested her head above his heart. Draco closed his arms around her and took a deep breath, making sure to inhale her scent which was permanently etched into his memory. He couldn't explain in words how good it felt to have her back in his arms. To know that she was safe, that their child was safe.

Hermione lead Draco into the kitchen and made sure that he had something to eat, she revelled in having him back with her and she wasn't going to be letting him go so easily this time.


	8. August 2003

**August 2003:**

With regular updates from the order, Draco and Hermione enjoyed the peace of Shell Cottage. Her pregnancy was progressing perfectly and they soon found themselves talking about the birth and what they were going to so when the little one arrived. With just over two months to go until her due date, they were starting to decide what their plans were. Where was Hermione going to give birth? Who was she going to have with her? What were they going to do afterwards? Once the baby was born? Hermione thought she knew fear, she thought she was quite familiar with it but as her pregnancy progressed and her due date loomed ever closer, the fear that was bubbling inside of her was like nothing she had ever felt before. Draco, although laced with his own fears, had been brilliant at calming her worries and helping her see sense. He had listened to so many of her rants, been the brunt of a lot of her mood swings but he never once faltered, he never once left her and he never once retaliated with anger. Hermione quite often battled with her mind when asking what she had done to deserve him. He wasn't perfect, she knew that. She could see it in the late night drinking sessions when his mind would not stop, she saw it in the emptiness that took over his eyes on occasion, she watched as he would take himself onto the beach and have a cigarette whilst just staring into the distance. War had taken its toll on him, as it had with everyone. No one was ever going to be the same again, the sights that they had seen, the pain they had experienced had scarred every single one of them, in different ways, but scarred all the same.

Hermione and Draco were on their daily walk along the beach. They had done this ever since Draco had been rescued, it was a way for them to clear their heads, to escape from the chaotic life of the safe house.

"There's a potion that could tell us what sex the baby is." Draco mentioned as they walked along the shoreline hand in hand. Hermione looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Don't look at me like that, you can't deny that you're curious whether it's a girl or boy." Draco explained himself. Hermione nodded, she had in fact been wondering whether she was having a little boy or a little girl. She had a feeling that it was a girl, she couldn't explain the feeling it was like she just knew.

"Is it easy to make?" Hermione asked, her mind racing at the possibility of them finding out what sex the baby is. "How will we get the ingredients?"

Draco chuckled, that was his girl, always wanting to know everything about everything.

"Easy for a wizard as talented as yours truly." He joked, his chest puffed out slightly and a handsome smirk on his face. Hermione laughed and shook her head. "Also, how did you get the ingredients for the testing potion?" He asked, his eyebrow raised. Hermione sighed.

"Okay, let's do it." She agreed. Draco leant forward and quickly captured her lips with his own, before he turned around and practically dragged her back to the cottage, he was literally bouncing with excitement as they waited for Dobby to arrive so they could send him out to fetch the ingredients they would need.

Six hours later, Draco and Hermione stood looking over a cauldron with a silvery/grey liquid inside that did indeed resemble the potion Hermione had brewed to confirm her pregnancy.

"All you need to do is add a strand of your hair and the potion will turn blue for a boy or pink for a girl." Draco instructed. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet as anticipation swept through him. In his dreams, he often had a son but there also dreams where he had a daughter. He honestly didn't care what sex the baby was, as long as it was born to them healthy. Hermione took a deep breath before she plucked a hair from her head and carefully dropped it into the cauldron.

"What's going on in here?" Bill asked as he entered the room. His eyes surveyed the mess of left over ingredients and the large cauldron bubbling on the kitchen table. Hermione briefly looked up from the potion that had yet to change colour with a nervous smile.

"We are finding out whether Malfoy Jr. in there is a girl or a boy." Malfoy announced with pride. Bill grinned at the couple and rushed over to the cauldron to join in the watching process.

"How long should it take?" He asked.

"A couple of minutes." Draco replied, his heart hammering in his chest as he kept his gaze glued to the bubbling potion which had just started to swirl. With excitement rushing through all three of them, they watched as the potion started to whirlpool and then right before their eyes, turned a vibrant shade of pink.

"It's a girl!" Draco shouted as he threw his arms into the air. He stared at the potion as a wave of love washed over him. He turned to Hermione and pulled her into his arms.

"We're going to have a daughter!" They said in unison before kissing quickly.

"Congratulations!" Bill offered the happy couple. He shook Draco's hand and quickly hugged Hermione. "Do I have permission to spread the good news?" He asked eagerly. He couldn't wait to tell Fleur. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure, why not?" She agreed. Bill jumped up and down excitedly.

"Fleur is going to be incredibly happy with this news. Thank you, and again, congratulations." He wished them both before he left the room in search of his wife. Hermione turned to Draco, the excitement had woken their daughter up and she was rolling over and over. Hermione took Draco's hands and placed them on her bump.

"I think she's happy that we know she's a she." She said as she watched Draco's eyes light up in delight. His grey eyes pooled with tears.

"I love you, both of you." He whispered as he placed a soft kiss on her bump first and then her forehead.

"We love you too." Hermione replied. She sighed a sigh of content as she pictured what their daughter might look like. She bet that she had Draco's colour hair and she would love it if she also inherited his eyes. A few months ago, things looked bleak for her future but now, with Draco returned to her and a daughter on the way, Hermione was starting to see that there was indeed hope in every situation, you just had to look for it.

* * *

The news of Draco and Hermione's baby being a girl spread fast within the Order and soon they were receiving an abundance of congratulations.

"I didn't realise it was such a big thing." Draco said one night as the couple lie in bed. "Like, I know having a baby is a big thing but so many people are invested in this baby that it makes it seem bigger than it is if maybe we weren't, well you know, us." He said with a shrug. Hermione nodded.

"I think that a lot of people see her as a beacon of hope." She said quietly. Her hands resting on her bump. "The longer this war runs on for, the more people are loosing hope. A baby being born is an incredible thing that will bring joy to the people who need it the most." Hermione explained. Draco nodded in understanding. "You've seen how excited Molly is and how our baby has given her almost a new lease of life." Hermione added with a chuckle. Draco chuckled and nodded his head. He pulled Hermione closer into his arms and kissed her temple. He knew that he needed to talk to her, but h was rather fearful of her reaction. He didn't want her lashing out at him like she did when he finished the coco pops last week. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I want to go back into the battle." He spat out at last. Hermione untangled herself from his arms and heaved herself into a seated position. She glared at im with anger burning in her amber eyes. Draco swallowed another lump in his throat as he too rose to a seated position.

"Why?" She asked calmly, despite the death glare he was receiving.

"I can't just sit around and watch every one else fight the battle for me." He explained. "I'm not a side line kind of guy." He added with a shrug. Hermione nodded and took a deep breath.

"What about us?" She asked, referencing herself and their unborn child.

"You're the reason why I need to fight, my love. I need to fight for a better world for you and our daughter." He closed his eyes and drew in a shaky breath. "Hermione, when I said that you were going to marry me one day I meant it, but I want us to be married in a world where we don't have to hide. I want to have you publicly by my side in a world where there is no hiding who we are, who we've become." He was openly crying now, his heart being ripped in two with a decision that was seemingly impossible for him to make. He didn't want to leave Hermione again but he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that he wasn't doing enough. "I love you Hermione, more than anything I have ever loved anything or any one before." Tears streamed down both of their cheeks as they were consumed by the reality of their situation.

"But Draco, what if you get caught again? I can't lose you again." Hermione cried as she took his hands into her own. "I can't do this on my own." She wept. Draco smoothed her hair from her hair and leant forward so he was kneeling in front of her. He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin.

"I'm not going to leave you, not now, not ever." He told her with sincere conviction. "I love you." He told her firmly. She looked up at him with tears still in her eyes and running down her cheeks.

"I love you." She replied.

* * *

Five days later, Draco found himself standing in between Fred and George Weasley, geared up for their upcoming mission and being addressed to by Potter.

Nerves bubbled in the pit of his stomach, this mission was one of the more riskier ones, hence why it had been left to them and he knew that the risk today was high. His mind flicked back to this morning.

" _Alright special squad, congregate downstairs at the apparation point, we are to move to mission base shortly." Potter called out over the many heads that filled the kitchen of Grimmauld Place._

" _I wish he would come up for a better name for us than that." Fred mumbled as he headed towards the basement. Draco laughed._

" _I completely agree brother, it makes us sound like we're stupid of something." George added as he followed his brother down the stairs._

" _Tell me about it." Draco agreed. He had grown to like the twins over the past few months. They were down to earth and quick to speak their minds. Draco liked people that were open, honest and spoke their mind. In this world, there was no point beating around the bush; If you had something to say, you had to say it._

"Draco? George? You know what you're doing?" Potter's voice broke Draco from his memory. He turned to face Potter and nodded.

"Keep an eye out for anything suspicious and nip it in the bud if anything arises." Draco repeated a short hand version of what he and George would be doing. Harry nodded.

"We will have coms in but you know the call to make to alert us of danger?" Harry asked. Draco was about to reply when he was interrupted by George.

"Cacaw! Cacaw!" George screeched like a bird which caused the whole team to erupt into laughter, well apart from Harry who was now glaring at George.

"No. We have been through this and I won't say it again!" Harry said, his temper rising slightly. George just smirked at him and exchanged a wink with his twin brother. Draco smiled as anticipation swept through him. The closer they got to starting the mission the more eager he was to get out there.

Muggle communication devices were handed out to everyone standing in the warehouse. The coms were an addition that Hermione had brought in when she was heading the DA and had proved invaluable during some missions. The small devices that went into the ear kept a branch of communication between the team no matter how far away they were. Draco rocked back on forth on his feet, he and George were the first to set out and all he was waiting for now was Potter's call.

So far, so good. Draco thought to himself from his position outside of Gringotts Bank. Harry, Ginny and Fred had successfully entered the building and were now being shown down to the vaults. They were attempting to access the vault of Draco's late aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, to obtain something that would help them defeat You Know Who. It was a risky endeavour but Draco had given up all the information he had on accessing the vault and what to do when they were inside and he was pretty confident that the mission would go smoothly. The team was inside and now all they needed to do was wait and see.

"Draco, two hooded figures coming from the left." George whispered to him. Draco nodded as he spotted two more coming from the right. He pointed them our to George who nodded.

"Guys, we have company, so far however, the situation is under control." Draco spoke quietly, addressing his team members on the coms.

"He means to say that we have a plan." George added with a smirk. Draco rolled his eyes as they watched the four death eaters meet outside the front entrance to Gringotts. Draco had warned them that an alarm may be raised when they entered the vaults. There's no way he would place an item that important in there and not be keeping an eye on it.

"The tallest one facing West is Rockwood, but I don't recognise the one next to him." Draco whispered to George as he watched the four death eaters converse and then split up. When the two hooded figures that were facing away from them turned around, Draco recognised them instantly. One of them was Vincent Crabbe and the other was his father.

"Draco, is that your..." George started to ask but Draco silenced him with a curt nod. He then pointed out to him that they were starting to walk their way.

"We're on our way back up." Ginny's voice rang in his ears. He didn't reply, instead he and George had ducked behind a large dumper and were waiting for their two targets to walk by.

Two non-verbal stunning spells were cast in perfect unison as Lucius and Crabbe walked by. Both bodies slumped to the floor in an instant. George and Draco quickly set to work pulling the two lifeless bodies out of sight. Tucked behind the dumpster, slumped up against the wall is how George cast them to be glued.

"They won't be able to move anything but their head for eighteen hours. That should give us plenty of time to get the fuck out of here." George explained with pride. Draco nodded, he had to admit he was impressed. The two Order members were about to walk away when Lucius came to.

"Draco?" He asked in a raspy voice. Draco turned to face his father, his wand aimed at his chest. His father gasped. "You're alive." He whispered. A smirk rose to Draco's lips as he watched his father struggle to move.

"Yes father, I am alive and well." Draco confirmed. He then cast a silencing spell on his father and Crabbe. Lucius continued to struggle to pull himself away from the wall, his mouth opened as if he was screaming out in anger. Draco laughed.

"Tell mother that I am sorry." He instructed his father before he turned and walked away.

He didn't have time to think about the repercussions of him being recognised by his father as they set to work about taking down Rockwood and his partner in able to ensure a safe return for the rest of their team.

They caught up with the pair of death eaters and within minutes they were restrained behind a dumpster on the other side of diagon alley in the same manner as their fellow death eaters.

Draco and George ran back to the mission base both proud of their achievements. The rest of the team were waiting for them and after all coms had been collected. The team apparated back to Grimmauld Place to debrief from the mission and celebrate its success.

Draco was seated at the kitchen table sharing a drink with Fred, George and Harry. It was another one of those moments that he would have laughed someone away if they had told him in his past that he would end up here but he actually found himself relaxing around the people he hated at Hogwarts. He drained his drink and rose to his feet.

"Although the temptation to refill my glass is high, I have a pregnant girlfriend to return to so I'm afraid I will have to call it a night." He declared. Fred and George agreed with him and bade him goodbye.

"Draco, before I forget." Harry started to say before Draco could walk away. Harry picked up his glass and tilted it towards Draco. "Welcome to the life of an undesirable." He finished with a smirk. Draco couldn't help but smirk in reply.

"Thank you for having me." He replied before he hurried down to the cellar, he quickly apparated out of the dingy cellar, since his time in the Nott's prison, cellars made him uneasy.

* * *

Harry hadn't been joking when he welcomed Draco into the undesirables because the next day, Draco's face was plastered over the front of the daily prophet marking him officially as one, he was a little upset that Potter was still Undesirable number one but he was still proud that his name made the list somewhere. He stared at his own picture as he held the paper in his hands. He should have known that the first thing his father would have done was go to the Dark Lord and tell him who he found alive, well and working for the other side. In some senses, when Mr Nott was killed whilst Draco was in the cellar, it meant that the knowledge of Draco being alive died with the Death Eater, and that could be seen as a positive but there was no way of getting out of it now, Draco Malfoy was a known fugitive.

Draco took the paper in to the living room where he sat in one of the arm chairs and read about himself. He was about to throw the damn paper away when one of the pictures caught his eye, it was his mother. She was wearing mourning robes and crying into his father's chest. His chest ached as he stared at the photograph. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't think of his mother, trapped in that house with dark major at every turn. She hadn't wanted the life she had been dealt, she just fell in love with the wrong man, married in to the wrong family, Draco sometimes even went as far as saying she was born into the wrong family. His mind raced as he thought of his own child, being born into a war, a war heavily based on blood status and hierarchy. His heart ached for both his mother and his unborn child. It also kept the fire roaring inside of him which kept him fighting in this war. He needed a better life for his child, and for his mother.


	9. September 2003

**September 2003:**

Hermione was sat around the kitchen table with Ginny, Fleur, Tonks and Mrs Weasley. They were catching up over a cup of tea and moaning about their other halves.

"Draco just will not let me do anything." Hermione moaned as she leant back against her chair. Her hand moved in circles over her bump, her daughter hadn't been very active over the last day or so, Hermione had read and been told that this was normal in the final weeks of pregnancy because baby was starting to prepare for her arrival. The thought of labour and birth frightened Hermione despite the fact that she had done an abundance of research and knew in her sensible side of her brain that there was nothing to fear. Her body knew what to do, just as it had done for the whole 39 weeks she had been pregnant.

"Arthur was the same with every one of my pregnancies. The later it got, the more he flapped around, it's just the nerves sweetheart." Molly said with a reassuring smile. Hermione nodded, she knew that Draco was nervous. He had put a lot of pressure on himself to not become the father that he had, even though Hermione knew that it would never happen, Draco was still extremely paranoid that at any day, he would turn into his father. As if by cue, the front door opened and in walked, Harry, Bill, Remus, Arthur and finally Draco.

Hermione smiled at him as he approached her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands resting on her bump. He kissed her temple and then her neck.

"Hey." He said with a grin as he straightened up.

"Good day?" Hermione asked. The boys had realised after a meeting this morning that there was nothing else that could be done by them today, so decided that they would take a well earned day off. They had been off to play quidditch this afternoon.

"It's always a good day when you can beat Potter at quidditch." He said in a sing song tune followed by a laugh.

"You won't be so lucky next time." Harry piped up from across the kitchen. The relationship between the two had grown significantly since Draco's return to the field. Harry had realised that he was an asset to the team and many of their missions had been pulled off safely because of Draco's knowledge and skill. He'd been watching him around Hermione and could clearly see the love the man felt towards her. And also, with his new changed attitude and outlook on life, Draco wasn't actually that horrible to be around. Draco had also realised that without his father's hate pouring through him, Potter wasn't as evil and horrid as he once thought him to be, this change of mindset between the two had made way for a friendship that grew stronger every day.

The group settled into the living room and as a bottle of fire whisky got opened they all just enjoyed each others company whilst making the most of the down time, it didn't happen very often.

Hermione sighed with content from her position next to Draco on the sofa. She was sipping on a glass of orange juice and enjoying feel her daughter move around inside of her. It was moments like this that she wished would last forever, but she was no fool and she knew that by sun fall tomorrow, everything could have changed.

* * *

Hermione hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights, she was incredibly uncomfortable and her mind just would not stop. She was always thinking about what was ahead of her, she could go into labour at any moment and she was scared. She loved her daughter and she couldn't wait to have her in her arms. She also couldn't wait to not be pregnant any more, she had loved being pregnant for the most part, but the last month or so had been almost unbearable.

She'd gotten up that morning when Draco had been called into battle. She watched his as he put on his uniform and secured his wand into its holster. She had found it hard to let Draco go when it was time for him to meet his squad at Grimmauld Place. She made him promise that he would return in one piece. He'd tried to ask her what was wrong but she couldn't tell him, she blamed her hormones and eventually let him go. She knew that he had to go, that he was doing this for her and their daughter but it didn't mean that she had to like it.

She'd tried to read once Draco had left but found it hard to concentrate. Her stomach muscles were cramping up and she could feel a large amount of pressure down there. She'd read the other day that she would experience this level of discomfort as her body prepared her for the big day. Hermione took a deep breath and used a heating charm to warm her lower abdomen in a hopes it would soothe the cramps. She spread out on the sofa and closed her eyes for a moment, it wasn't long before she had fallen asleep.

Hermione awoke with a cry, every muscle in her stomach was tight and a searing pain spread through her back. Ginny came running and knelt down in front of her friend in concern.

"Oh Ginny, I think that was a contraction." Hermione said through shallow breaths. Ginny's face drained of all colour as she leant back on her feet.

"Mum!" She yelled to which Molly replied to by running into the room. Breathless she asked them what was wrong.

"Hermione thinks she's having contractions." Ginny explained pointing to Hermione who was panting through yet another ripple of pain. She nodded as the pain in her stomach eased leaving just a dull ache in her back.

"I definitely think that I am having contractions. I also think they're pretty close together." She explained to Mrs Weasley who nodded calmly and called for Fluer. She explained what she needed and asked Fluer to set it all up in the bedroom upstairs. She then approached Hermione who was now sitting upright on the sofa. She perched down beside her and took one of her hands into her own.

"Now my dear, we are going to get you settled upstairs okay? Just like we planned yes?" She spoke softly to Hermione who drank in every word. With help from Ginny, Hermione rose to her feet and made it up the stairs into the guest bedroom. The dull ache in the base of her back was growing with intensity and she knew that she needed to get her mind clear and ready for the process that was about to happen. This was the moment she had been preparing for, all the late night reading and hours of research had lead her to this. She placed her hands on the bottom board of the bed and focused on her breathing whilst Mrs Weasley buzzed around the room and Ginny rubbed circles on her back.

"You're doing super great." Ginny said. She felt a little awkward, like she didn't really know what to say or do. Hermione smiled at her.

"Draco. He needs to be told." She said to Ginny, panic starting to rise once more. Ginny noticed this and tried to calm her down, she told her that Bill and Fleur were working on reaching him and that she was sure he was on his way. She had no idea if this was true but it was what Hermione needed to hear.

"Come on now, lets do some more breathing." She suggested enthusiastically. "Breathing is good." She said raising one of her fists into the air. Hermione laughed and they started to deep breath together.

Hermione growled through her contractions, she'd spent most of the time standing up and walking around, she found that it eased the ache in her back. Ginny watched in awe of her friend who was handling labour like a champ. She was even managing to make small talk in the quieter moments. However, that did not last long and soon Hermione's contractions were coming on thick and fast. She was helped onto the bed to see how things were progressing

"Where's Draco?" Hermione asked Ginny, she was concerned that he was not here yet.

"He'll be here Hermione." Ginny ensured her. Hermione just nodded as yet another contraction ripped through her causing her to throw her head back and let out a loud cry. Ginny and Mrs Weasley called out words of encouragements to the labouring woman who was clearly suffering.

"You're fully dilated Hermione, this baby is definitely on her way." Mrs Weasley announced from between Hermione's legs. Hermione lifted her head.

"Now?" She asked hysteria started to take over her mind. "But I'm not ready yet!" She cried. Mrs Weasley chuckled.

"Yes, you are." She confirmed. Hermione shook her head. She couldn't have the baby now, Draco wasn't here yet! "Now when you feel the next contraction, you need to push with all of your might so we can get this baby's head out okay?" She asked. Hermione looked from Mrs Weasley to Ginny and then nodded and braced herself so she was ready when only seconds later a contraction hit. Hermione growled as she pushed, she felt like she was being torn open as her growl merged into a scream. Ginny was beside her whispering encouragements but Hermione couldn't really hear anything apart from the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.

"It's coming out of my bum!" Hermione cried in hysterics. Ginny had to force herself not to laugh and instead promised Hermione that the baby was not coming out of her bum. Hermione did not believe her friend as pain radiated through her. She felt like she had been pushing for hours when Mrs Weasley told her to stop.

"The baby's head is out now Hermione, so when the next one hits, you need to give me just a very gentle push so I can guide baby's shoulders out okay? And then when I tell you, we need one final big push okay? You can do this. Ready? Now." Mrs Weasley instructed. Hermione gripped onto Ginny with one hand and the bed sheets with the other. She panted as she followed Mrs Weasley's instructions, her eyes never once leaving the older woman's. "Push Hermione, now!" Mrs Weasley told her. Hermione took a deep breath and pushed with all of her might. She'd never felt a pain like the one that was currently ripping through her like a tidal wave. Every muscle in her body felt like it was being twisted and pulled. She threw her head back and screamed as her mind told her that she couldn't take much more. She closed her eyes and resumed her panting.

"Good girl Hermione, and again push!" Mrs Weasley directed. Hermione put all of her remaining energy into pushing when suddenly, everything stopped. The pain in her muscles, the tightness in her stomach, the burning of her lungs and the pounding of her head all melted away instantly. It took a few moments for Hermione's brain to register what had just happened when what seemed like suddenly, a crying baby was placed on her chest.

Hermione burst into tears as she looked down at the baby wriggling on her bare chest.

"You have a perfectly healthy little girl." Mrs Weasley said through her tears as she placed a clean towel over the baby to stop her from getting cold. She watched with pride Hermione wrap her arms around her newborn daughter. There wasn't a dry pair of eyes in the room.

Relief. Hope. Joy. Happiness and love. All of the emotions were running through Hermione as she laid eyes on her daughter for the very first time.

"She's so small." Hermione whispered "She's so small." She repeated again. Hermione was just staring at her newborn daughter when the bedroom door swung open and Draco ran inside. His hair was dishevelled and it was obvious by the way he was out of breath that he had been running.

"Hermione." He said as he froze on the spot. His heart thumping in his chest as he noticed that she was holding their daughter. "I'm so sorry love." He gushed as he rushed to beside her. Hermione smiled at him, he was here now and that's all that mattered to her. She lifted one hand to stroke the side of his face.

"She's here." She said softly. "And she looks like you!" She cried but with a smile fixed on her lips. Draco kissed her temple and then looked down at his daughter for the first time. The first thing he noticed when looking at her was her white blonde hair that stuck up in tufts upon her head. Her eyes were closed and her tiny mouth kept opening and closing slightly. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He'd never seen something so beautiful and perfect in his life. He kissed Hermione's temple once more as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"She's perfect." He whispered as he rested his head against Hermione. "You are brilliant." He mused. "I love you." He said to Hermione first and then he leant down to place a tender kiss on the forehead of his daughter. "And I love you." He whispered. He straightened back up and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on his daughter. His daughter! He had a daughter!

"Draco, would you like to cut the cord?" Mrs Weasley asked, still with tears in her eyes. Draco looked up at her with a dumbfounded look. Mrs Weasley helped Hermione turn the baby so she was tucked up in Hermione's arms. Scissors were passed to Draco who was still just staring at the newborn baby in his girlfriend's arms. He desperately attempted to stop himself from shaking as he followed Mrs Weasley's instructions and cut the umbilical chord. He watched as Mrs Weasley scooped the baby up and took her over to the scales that had been brought in. He moved to sit next to Hermione. He kissed her temple and stroked her hair, he had never been more in love with the woman as he was now. She had just given birth to their daughter.

"You are brilliant." He whispered into her ear, he was reluctant to move away from her. He remained, their heads together just both of them breathing in slowly.

"A healthy 7 pounds 2 ounces exactly." Mrs Weasley announced to the room as she placed a nappy on the infant and then wrapped her up in a yellow, knitted blanket. With the newborn in her arms and tears in her eyes, she turned to the new parents. "I think it's time that this little one met her daddy." She spoke through her tears as she walked towards Draco who was looking up at her with sheer panic shining in his grey eyes.

"I've never held a baby before." He admitted quickly. His heart rate increasing dramatically. Mrs Weasley chuckled and gave him instructions on what to do. He nodded at her and took a deep breath, he was about to hold his daughter for the first time.

"Just relax." Mrs Weasley reminded him as she placed the newborn in his arms and as simply as that, Draco was now holding his whole world. His daughter had her dazzling blue eyes open wide and was staring off somewhere over his shoulder. His heart melted as he watched her little mouth pout and her fingers stretch open. He had never seen something so breathtakingly perfect in his life.

As he looked down at the newborn baby in his arms, with her white blonde hair and pink lips, he thought that his heart would burst. He thought that he knew love, he loved Hermione with his whole essence but as he watched his daughter fall asleep in his arms for the first time, he had never felt anything like it. He knew in that instant that he would spend the rest of his life protecting what was in his arms, she would want for nothing and fear no one for as long as he lived. As he held the life that he had helped make, he understood why his mother had done what she had done; To protect him. He thought of his mother, who until a few months ago didn't even know he was alive, let alone know of the grandchild she now had. He wished that things could have been different, that she too could be here to experience the joy that was bouncing around the room. One day. He said to himself, one day, things would be different until then he would enjoy his daughter and the love he felt for her and for her mother. His perfect little family.

"We did good." He said, a smile permanently fixed upon his face. Hermione hummed as she leant her head on his shoulder. She had never felt more exhausted but more alive in her life.

* * *

That night, as Hermione slept, Draco sat awake in an armchair that had been moved into the bedroom with his daughter in his arms. She was wrapped up in her yellow, knitted blanket and sleeping peacefully.

"You have been born into a world of uncertainty my child." Draco whispered to the sleeping newborn. "But I promise you now that you will never be uncertain of the fact you are loved." He paused for a moment as a silent tear rolled down his cheek. "You are so loved." He whispered before he placed a soft kiss onto her forehead. Nothing in this world had ever been so precious to him as the bundle of blankets in his arms. As he looked up at Hermione who was also sleeping peacefully, he couldn't help but wonder what he had done to deserve something as special as these two girls. He was still waiting for him to wake up and for it to be revealed that this was all just one crazy alcohol fuelled dream, that none of this had actually really happened to him.

"Draco?" Hermione asked as she rolled over to face them. He lifted his head to smile at her.

"Yes my love?" He asked.

"She needs a name." Hermione pointed out. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head before she propped herself up on her pillows. She was incredibly sore and still felt exhausted but she didn't want to sleep any longer, she couldn't sleep any longer. Draco rose to his feet and walked over to the bed, he passed Hermione their sleeping daughter before he climbed on so he was seated next to them.

"I agree." Draco agreed quietly. They'd spoken a couple of times about baby names but had never been able to agree with anything and finally coming to the decision that they would wait to meet her before they gave her a name.

"I've had a name stuck in my head for a while now, it follows the traditions of naming Malfoy children after constellations..." Hermione began, her eyes glued to her sleeping daughter, a warm smile upon her face. Draco opened his mouth to object but Hermione shushed him. "The name is a constellation but it also has a meaning that I think is perfect for us." Hermione explained. Draco nodded. He had wanted to break the Malfoy tradition of naming their children after constellations because he didn't want to have anything to do with his old life.

"Okay, what is it?" Draco asked. Hermione looked up at him and then back down to their daughter.

"Lyra." Hermione said softly. "It means lyrical." She elaborated. Draco looked down at his daughter. Despite being against following tradition, the name really seemed perfect for her.

"I like it." He said honestly. Hermione looked up at him with a shocked expression on her face.

"Do you really?" She asked almost in disbelief. Draco chuckled.

"Yes, honestly. It's a beautiful name for our beautiful little girl." He told her. Hermione grinned at him.

"I thought maybe that she could have two middle names. Eleanor as the first one, that was my grandmother's name and Hope as the second one, because well, she's a little beacon of hope." Hermione spoke quickly, she was nervous that Draco wouldn't like the names. Draco leant forward and kissed her temple.

"Lyra Eleanor Hope Malfoy." He said out loud to himself. He nodded, a grin spreading to his lips. "It's perfect." He said finally. Hermione felt relief run through her. She'd been so scared that they wouldn't have been able to agree on a name and she would have been called the baby forever, but she needn't have worried, because the perfect name had now been found. She looked down at the bundle of blankets in her arms. Lyra stretched her arms out in front of her and twisted her head back and forth. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around.

"Hello Lyra, did you hear us talking about you?" Hermione asked her. Lyra's blue eyes glanced around the room before settling on Hermione. "Do you like your name little one?" Hermione asked as Lyra stretched her hand out. Hermione placed her index finger into Lyra's palm and thought she was going to burst into tears when Lyra's tiny fingers wrapped around her finger. Hermione wasn't sure what was going to happen to them in the upcoming months but she knew that as long as she had Draco by her side and her little girl in her arms, everything would be okay.


	10. November 2003

**A/N: Hello there, I know I have not stuck to my update schedule at all and I apologise. Life gets in the way, so I have decided to abandon the schedule and give you updates as of when they come, I will try to stick to at least one every 7 days, maybe you'll get more, hopefully you won't get less. My life is crazy, but then again who's isn't?**

 **Thank you to everyone who has added this to their favourites list, who have followed this story and those of you that have reviewed. I'd like a few more reviews if possible? It really does keep me motivated to keep tapping away at this story.**

 **Anyway, enough waffle from me.**

 **Let's move on:**

* * *

 **November 2003:**

Draco and Hermione quickly settled into a routine with their newborn daughter. Word of her arrival spread quickly among highest ranking order members. Apart from those in the highest circles of the Order, Lyra's existence was to be kept as one of the Order's best guarded secrets. For her safety, and for Draco's. The Dark Lord knowing that Draco was alive was something but knowing that he had a daughter, that would bring catastrophic consequences for those Draco cared for the most.

Draco sat in the kitchen of Shell Cottage with Lyra in his arms. He was technically in an official meeting but no one said a word when he appeared with Lyra. She was always welcome and Draco had no doubt that before the meeting ended, most people in attendance would have had a cuddle with his daughter. He couldn't blame them, she was just made of pure adorable.

"For the official records: Order Meeting. Phoenix Squad. November 21st 2003. In attendance: Draco Malfoy, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Lee Jordan and myself, Harry Potter." Harry spoke, a self-writing quill scribbled down what he was saying word for word on a long piece of parchment. Draco looked down at his daughter who's lips were pushed together in a pout. He smiled down at her, she was a good baby. She hardly ever cried or made a fuss, instead opting to sleep peacefully in somebody's arms or lie awake watching the world pass her by. Draco couldn't love her more if he tried. The last three weeks of his life had been the best by far, he hadn't realised until she was born just how much this little person was going to change his life.

"First, I would like to start this meeting by welcoming Draco back to the field." Harry announced. He nodded towards Draco who looked up from his daughter, a smile still on his face. His decision to come back had not been an easy one to make, he and Hermione had many arguments about it, even last night she was still trying to persuade him not to go back.

 _Hermione had just laid their daughter down into her crib when she turned around to face Draco who stood by the bed with his head hung low and his hands in the pockets of his muggle jeans._

" _I just don't understand why you can't retire Draco, you've done your bit and now you have bigger things to worry about." Hermione said, tears sprung to her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder to glance at their daughter sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the messy world she had been born into._

" _It's because of her that I need to go back Hermione." Draco informed her. This argument had been going on for days now but his mind was not going to change. He was going back out onto the battle field to help his comrades win this bloody war for once and for all. "The war is so nearly won, there's only two more Horcruxes left and we a) know where they are and b) know how to destroy them. The war could be over any day now and you know that I need to be out there when it does." He was pleading now. Pleading for her to understand why he had to do it._

" _What if it doesn't happen?" Hermione asked, voicing one of her deepest fears. Ever since Lyra's birth, the thought of them not winning had been stuck in her head. What if they couldn't locate the last two Horcruxes, what if they couldn't be destroyed, what if after all this they still couldn't defeat him? All of these questions had been keeping her up at night, she didn't need worrying about her boyfriend's safety added to them._

" _It will happen." He told her. She looked up at him with disbelief in her eyes. He shook his head. "We have to believe it Hermione, we have to hold on to that Hope. The hope that we named our daughter after because if you let that go, if you can't feel it any more then all this fighting is for nothing." Draco had tears in his own eyes as he spoke. He loved his girls more than words could describe. They had saved him from a life of misery and loneliness, they had shown him that even the people with dark pasts deserved happiness, they deserved love._

" _Just do what you think you need to do." Hermione muttered. She glanced at him quickly before she walked past him and out of the room, leaving Draco to be alone with his thoughts._

As Harry spoke about the progress the different squads had been making, Lyra started to fuss in his arms. Draco bounced her slightly hoping that she would calm easily but within seconds she was whining with quite some volume. Draco sighed, he waved to Harry and asked to be excused. Harry nodded in indication that he could be excused. Draco apologised, even though he knew that it was unlikely any of them minded. He stood up and rushed out of the room with Lyra, he went into the living room to see Hermione on her feet already waiting for her.

"Is she alright?" She asked, a tone of concern in her voice.

"Hungry I believe." Draco informed her. Hermione held her arms out for Draco to hand her the crying baby. She instantly turned away and sat down on the sofa. Hermione had decided from the start that she would breastfeed Lyra, the first week had been awful but it was slowly starting to become a little easier.

Draco stood awkwardly beside the sofa, he didn't know what he was waiting for but he had hoped Hermione might say something. Ever since she walked out on him last night, she'd only spoken to him when it regarded their daughter and it was breaking his heart. He wanted her to understand, he needed her to understand. He was doing this for them, to give them a better life. To be a better father than his was. All of his essence loved his girls, he knew the risks of going into battle, being captured had taken away four months of his life, the majority of Hermione's pregnancy. It still pained him, even though Lyra was safely with them now, that he missed the early days of Hermione's pregnancy. It should have been a wonderful time for both of them but instead he was stuck in a cell of a dead Death Eater without anyone knowing where he was, things could have ended very differently if he had not have been rescued and he thanked Merlin every day that he was so he could see his little girl grow up.

He remained glued to his spot for a few moments, unsure whether he should say anything or not. In the end, he decided he wouldn't and headed back to the meeting.

"Everything okay?" Harry asked as Draco re took his seat. Draco forced a smile onto his lips, everything was far from okay but he wasn't going to tell Potter that.

"Little miss was hungry." Draco explained with a shrug. Harry nodded and continued with what he was saying. Draco desperately tried to pay attention but he just couldn't. His mind was stuck on Hermione and their current position. He loved her so much that it almost hurt him, he would never be good enough for her, he didn't deserve someone as wonderful as she was and he certainly did not deserve a daughter as perfect as the one she gave him. He wished that he could just sit it out and wait until the dirty work was done but he couldn't. He had a burning fire deep within him that called him to battle, whether it was revenge or not, he still hadn't decided but either way, he wanted a better life for his girlfriend and his daughter.

The meeting ended and soon, Draco was once again left alone. He sat himself down in one of the armchairs in the living room and closed his eyes for a moment. He was exhausted.

"Draco?" Hermione asked from where she stood across the room. She'd been standing there for a while but he looked peaceful with his eyes shut and head tipped back that she didn't want to disturb him. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, her amber eyes were filled with tears.

"I want to apologise. I fear I may have over reacted." She spoke quietly. Draco rose to his feet and walked towards her. He pulled her into his arms, she took a deep breath as she rested her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry too." He admitted as he rested his chin on her head and stroked her hair. They stood there for a few moments, Draco enjoying having her back in his arms once more, it had only been a few days but it had felt much longer than that to him. He used his hand to tilt her head so that she was looking at him. He used his thumb to gently wipe away a stray tear that was running down her cheek then leant forward to place a soft kiss onto her forehead.

"I love you Hermione Granger, please don't ever forget that." He told her firmly. He could feel tears threatening to form in his own eyes as he looked down at his girlfriend. He took one of her hands in his own and placed it over his heart. "As long as this heart beats, it beats for you." He said, their gazes glued together, her hand on his heart. He bent down to capture her lips with his own as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her body close to his. She tasted of strawberries as his tongue slid across her bottom lip. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her back arched into him. She moaned into the kiss as hands started wandering and the pace picked up. They broke apart with a groan as their daughter's cries filled the cottage, they smiled sympathetically at each other before Hermione said she'd go deal with it.

"I love you." She said to him. She pecked his lips with her own before she left to attend to their daughter. Draco remained on the spot for a few moments, the small taste of his girlfriend had him shifting uncomfortably in his trousers, he decided that he would go for a cold shower and attempt to regain some of his control.

* * *

Hermione was sitting on the bed propped up with pillows, Lyra was asleep on her chest when Draco entered. Hermione smiled at him as he kicked his shoes off and joined her on the bed. He had a small navy bag in his hands that he presented Hermione after he greeted her with a kiss.

"This is for you my love." He told her as he carefully lifted his daughter into his arms and settled on the bed next to her. Lyra stretched before she settled into her father's arms. Draco would never tire of having holding her, she was the reason why his heart beat and the reason why his eyes opened in the morning. The love he felt for her was earth shattering and life changing. She was his own flesh and blood, the child he never thought he would have, but he did have her and he knew that he was never going to let her go. He turned his attention to Hermione who was pulling a square box out of the bag. She opened it to reveal a silver bangel and a smaller but matching anklet.

"Draco, they're beautiful." She whispered as she lifted the bangel from the box and noticed that it was engraved with her name in the middle of two small emeralds. Tears sprung to her eyes as she turned to look at Draco who was smiling at her with pride.

"They are linked." He started to explain. "When you are both wearing them, the bracelet will warn you when Lyra is in distress and needs you." He was going to continue when he was cut short by Hermione's lips capturing his own. She pulled away with tears in her eyes and removed the anklet from the box. It had Lyra's name engraved with a single emerald after it. Hermione blinked tears from her eyes as she fastened it around one of Lyra's ankles and then fastened her own around her wrist. She felt a surge of magic rush through her which made her gasp and then smile.

"Thank you." She whispered to Draco who nodded.

"There's no need for that." He replied. He was happy that she had liked the gift and hoped that it would give her peace of mind when she was not in the same room as their daughter, something that Hermione had been struggling with so far.

* * *

Draco had been sitting at the kitchen table working through The Order's budgets as a favour to Harry who was honestly hopeless with arithmetic for nearly two hours when Hermione entered the room with their daughter in her arms.

"Lyra and I were wondering if you wanted to take a break from the paper work and join us for a walk?" Hermione asked as she bounced the baby in her arms. Draco put down his quill and leant back against his chair, a smile rising back to his lips. Since they had both apologised to each other, things had gotten better between them. Adapting to being parents had been hard for them both but they were, now that Lyra was only a couple of days short of being a month old, really starting to settle into a rhythm that worked for them and both of them were feeling a little happier. At least they were until they were stopped by Remus and Harry when they left for their walk. They followed them into the kitchen and were instructed to sit down. They exchanged glances as Hermione unclipped the baby carrier and removed her daughter from it. She settled Lyra into her arms as she sat down. Draco watched her as she expertly handled their daughter, she was a natural mother and it had been a delight for Draco to watch her bond with their daughter.

"We're sorry to drop in on you like this but there has been a new development, one that we believe might include you, and you're needed back at Grimmauld Place." Remus spoke with the authority he tended to don when there was bad news. Hermione's heart hammered in her chest as she held her daughter a little closer to her.

"Can I ask for a bit more information on this development?" Asked Draco.

"There is a meeting at Grimmauld Place in one hour. You have half an hour to pack your essentials before we have a gap where we can transport you all safely back to HQ." Remus ignored the question by continuing to give them instructions. Hermione glanced at Harry who staying silent behind Remus. She then glanced at Draco to see her own fear mirrored in his eyes.

"Thank you Remus, are you sticking around?" Hermione asked, she had made her peace with the man a few weeks before Lyra was born, she apologised for her reaction and all was forgiven on both sides. Remus nodded.

"Good, here's a baby whilst I go pack her things." She told him as she stood up and handed him the baby. He smiled down at the infant as the couple went to the bedroom they were staying in to gather their essentials. Once the door was closed behind them, Hermione let her tears fall.

"What are they hiding from us Draco?" She asked as she manically started shoving clothes, nappies and anything else they would need into her charmed backpack. Draco ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know my love, but we will find out soon." He said as he stepped towards her, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. "It's going to be okay." He whispered to her, despite him not knowing whether it was the truth or not. He hadn't felt this scared in a long time, he chastised himself for not expecting something like this to happen. They were after all still in a war zone and it now seemed that their brief reprieve was over.

Hermione holds her daughter in her arms as she sat down at the table in Grimmauld Place where an urgent meeting was about to take place. As the kitchen filled, many greeted Hermione and the little one happily, for some of them it was their first time meeting Lyra and pretty much everyone commented on her white blond hair and how much like her father she looked. Eventually, once everyone had arrived, fussed over the baby and sat down, Remus stood up.

"You have been gathered here today because a prophecy has been delivered." He announced to the group. Both Hermione and Draco rolled their eyes. Prophecies were quite often more bother than they were worth. They were fickle things, only one thing had to change, one person not do what they were supposed to do and the whole prophecy would be redundant. Draco's hands found Hermione's thigh and he slowly rubbed circles with his thumb. She smiled at him and placed her hand over his.

Kingsley Shacklebolt walked towards the table and from a pocket in his robes retrieved a glass ball that was filled with blue smoke. A few gasps were heard throughout the room. Hermione recognised what it was immediately, she had encountered them before, it was a prophecy.

"We will let you hear it for yourselves." He said as he rolled the glass ball onto the table. The glass ball split open in the middle and the blue smoke trapped inside rose up towards the ceiling. Hermione shivered as a booming voice echoed around the room.

" _A power far greater than previously seen_

 _Will reveal itself when the summer begins_

 _A child born from two different lines_

 _Will fulfil the hole they left behind_

 _And light a fire to burn brighter than before_

 _And will bring the beginning of the mighty one's fall."_

Once the prophecy had been delivered, the smoke returned to the glass ball which then closed itself. Hermione's heart dropped as the words sunk in. She looked towards Draco who was just staring up at where the smoke had been with his eyes wide.

"Last time a prophecy like this was delivered, the events that followed were devastating." Remus spoke to the room who now all seemed to be staring at Hermione and her daughter as if they had already assumed that it was about her. His eyes fell on Draco.

"And what exactly are you suggesting?" Draco asked, anger starting to already bubble up inside of him.

"There has been speculation that this prophecy could be speaking about Lyra. We would like you to consider whether it would be wise for us to put her into hiding with muggles, for her safety." Remus admitted. Draco rose to his feet, his anger had boiled over as soon as Remus had opened his mouth. No one, no matter who they were was going to take his daughter from him.

"Our daughter is more safe with her parents, her magical parents." Draco spat, his voice almost a growl. Many of the people in the room leant back in their chairs wary of the young father's rising temper. Draco clenched his fists on the table in front of him as he leant forward. It was taking every ounce of his will power not to lose himself to the anger that burned brightly within him. "You have all just assumed that this prophecy is about her and then thought you know how to deal with it well you are wrong. Do you not think that he has connections in the muggle world? That he isn't keeping an eye out for muggleborns who start to show their magic? Because he is. And if Lyra does possess some great power then placing her with muggles will mean that she will be noticed, instantly." His voice was raised and his breathing heavy. He looked down to Hermione who was watching him with tears in her eyes and their daughter clutched to her chest. He looked back to Remus. "Lyra stays with us and that is final." He spat before he straightened up, offered one of his hands to Hermione and lead her out of the kitchen.

Once back up in the room that used to be Hermione's, she laid down their daughter into her crib and rushed into the waiting arms of Draco where she burst into tears. The fear of losing her daughter overwhelming her senses. Draco whispered words of love and encouragement into her ears as he stroked her hair and let her expel all of her emotions. After a while, she straightened up to look at him.

"Do you believe that the prophecy was about her?" She asked, her voice weak. She looked over to the crib where her daughter slept peacefully. Draco shrugged his shoulders, he never really understood prophecies, he honestly thought they were more trouble than they were worth.

"She is from two different lines, it could mean me being a muggleborn and you being a pure-blood. And the part about fulfilling a hole may be talking about those we've lost..." Hermione was speaking fast, her nerves still apparent as her mind desperately tried to make sense of what she had been shown downstairs. Draco took her hands in his own.

"I know that this is going to be difficult but you need to try and forget about that stupid prophecy." He slowly brought her hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "No one is going to hurt our daughter." He told her firmly. "Okay?" He asked. Hermione nodded, despite still being unsure. This war started because of a prophecy and now one had been delivered that could possibly be about their daughter, she looked over her shoulder to the crib, she had never thought it was possible to love someone as much as she loved her daughter. The thought that she could be in harm made Hermione want to throw up or pass out. She looked back up at Draco who was watching her intently. "I love you." He told her firmly. Hermione nodded as a small smile lifted the corners of her lips.

"I love you." She replied before she laid her head on his chest and took a deep breath. Even if You Know Who did receive the prophecy, he didn't know that Lyra existed so he couldn't possibly think it was about him could he? There was no paper record that Lyra had been born. She needed to remember that, Lyra was safe with them and she always would be. She closed her eyes as she breathed in and out slowly, she felt her muscles start to relax as she just let herself be held by Draco. She had to believe that they were going to be okay, she could not lose hope that one day a better future will be available for all of them.


	11. December 2003

**A/N: Shout out to rioroo400 at the beginning of this chapter, in one of your reviews you made the request for Hermione to have a more active role within the order and I will reveal that your wish is my command.**

 **Also, smut warning for the later part of this chapter. Sorry, not sorry. O:)**

* * *

 **December 2003:**

Hermione bounced her daughter in her arms as she was making herself a cup of coffee. Lyra had been unsettled for two days, since Draco left for his latest mission. Hermione was trying to not let it get to her, to not let the worry consume her but it was, as each hour passed, she couldn't help but panic that he wouldn't be coming back at all. Hermione necked back the coffee she had just made and placed the cup by the sink. She would deal with that and the other pile of dishes at a later time, right now she wanted to console her daughter and try to get her to sleep.

"Come on Lyra, mummy knows that you're tired so just give up and go to sleep." Hermione said to the infant who just continued to cry. She re-positioned Lyra so that she was looking over Hermione's shoulder. Hermione lightly patted her back as she walked circles around the table. She whispered softly into her ear as she walked. Lyra's cries lessened to a small whine before she stopped all together. Hermione continued to walk around in circles just to make sure that she had definitely gone to sleep before she headed upstairs.

With her breath held, she gently laid Lyra down in the middle of the bed. She straightened up, waiting for her to wake back up and start crying again but she was relieved when she remained asleep. Hermione leant back against the chest of drawers behind her and sighed. Motherhood had been the most wonderful experience but it had also been the most challenging. There were days where Hermione just wanted to hide away from her screaming daughter and scream herself. Today seemed to be one of those days. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the peace that had settled around them.

* * *

Lyra was laid on a play mat in the middle of the living room floor of Grimmauld Place as Hermione and Draco worked on decorating the over-sized Christmas Tree that Mrs Weasley had charmed into the living room. Lyra babbled and squealed at the toys that were charmed to float and rotate above her, she rose her arms to bat one of the toys every now and then with her hand. Hermione smiled as she watched her, she couldn't believe how much she had grown in just a short few months. Her blonde hair was growing so it swept over her head like a wonky mohawk and her eyes had started to fade to match her father's. There was no denying that she was a Malfoy.

"I'm not decorating this bloody thing by myself Hermione." Draco joked with her from the other side of the tree. He popped his head around, an amused glint in his eye and a warm smile on his lips. Blush rose to Hermione's cheeks as she smiled a shy smile at him. Draco chuckled and walked around the tree to join Hermione. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her temple. Hermione relaxed in her arms and sighed in content.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we've had a mission come in and we're going to need your help Hermione." Harry informed them as he appeared in the doorway. Hermione frowned at him and reluctantly stepped out of Draco's arms. She bent down to scoop up Lyra who babbled at her mother happily. They followed Harry down to the kitchen where the rest of the Phoenix Squad were waiting for them. Hermione smiled at Ginny as she approached.

"Here, have a child." She said with a smile as she passed Lyra over to the young red head. Ginny babbled at the baby as they took their seats. Harry was the only one who remained standing.

"As some of you are aware, we have a mission upcoming that will involve us blending in to the muggle world for at least seven days." Harry addressed the group. His eyes fell to Hermione. "This is where you come in Hermione, we need a crash course in how to behave in the muggle world." He smiled warmly at his friend who looked back at him unsure of what she could do to help. She felt Draco's hand fall to rest on her thigh and squeezed gently. Hermione took a deep breath. It had been a long time since a task had been given to her, it had also been a long time since she had been a part of the muggle world. She nodded slowly at Harry who was looking at her with his face full of expectation.

"I can do that." She said, although she wasn't feeling at all confident. She felt Draco gently squeeze her thigh, she turned to look at him.

"I believe in you." He whispered. Hermione nodded and looked into his eyes. She felt a wave of calm wash over her as she smiled softly. She took a deep breath and nodded. She could do this.

* * *

Three days later and Hermione was stood at the end of the long kitchen table waiting to begin the first lesson on how to be a muggle. She swallowed her nerves as she looked around the room. Fred Weasley sat next to his twin, George, at the end of the table. To their right was Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and nearest to her, Harry. Draco was nearest to her on the other side. Next to him was Lee Jordan and Seamus Finnigan They all looked up at her with a mix of expressions on their faces. Fred and George looked amused, she was expecting to have some trouble from them, they just couldn't take life seriously, Hermione actually kind of liked that trait in them, everyone needs a comic relief in their life. Dean and Seamus looked bored, they didn't really want to come on this mission but the order were limited as they had to chose people who knew that Hermione was alive and also knew that she had a daughter, this made the options limited. Her eyes fell onto Draco who mouthed the words "I love you." to her. She smiled and mouthed them back. She then looked up, took a small breath and started to speak.

"Welcome." She said to the gathered Order members who were all looking at her expectantly. "As you know, for the next four days we will be learning how to fit in in the muggle world." Nerves bubbled in the pit of her stomach as she spoke. "The first thing we are going to go over is terminology." Hermione introduced. "To blend in with the muggles, you will need to first speak like them. They do not use terms like "Merlin's beard." Instead they would use something like "Oh my god, or goodness me." Muggles like slang. It may sound completely ridiculous to you, but to them it makes perfect sense. Please see the information leaflets made on slang. Read them and familiarise yourself with them. Not speaking correctly could be one of the things that will give you away." Hermione was surprised to see that everyone in the room was drinking in the information she was giving them. Even the Weasley twins were not causing trouble and distracting from the subject like they usually did. They knew the severity of what could go wrong if they did not pay attention.

Hermione handed out some leaflets that were printed on muggle paper. She also gave them out muggle pens.

"In these lessons we will be using muggle objects to enable you all to become familiar with them. These are what muggles call pens." She informed them as she held up her hand that was full of Biro pens. "Muggles use them to write with." She walked around handing out the pens to the class. Some of them had seen pens before and were familiar to them, Draco however had never seen one before in his life and was amazed by it.

"Do you mean that you don't have to keep dipping it in ink?" Fred asked in amazement. Hermione chuckled.

"The ink is already stored in the tube in the middle, it is as simple as putting it to the paper and writing away." Hermione explained. Fred gave her a look of pure wonder as she then handed out a small test on muggle terminology and sat down as they got to work. She let out a deep sigh, part one had gone better than she thought it would and her confidence was slowly growing. She walked around the table, helping those who asked for it and just genuinely seeing what they were doing when the bracelet on her wrist started to heat up slowly followed by her hearing her daughter start to cry upstairs. Hermione nodded to herself as she turned back to the group.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm going to have to deal with that, I'll be right back." She excused herself from the room and hurried upstairs, she needed to change her top and attend to her daughter. She walked into the living room where Sirius was bouncing Lyra in his arms whispering to her softly.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, she always panicked when her daughter was crying, she was told that it was completely normal and that every mother felt it. Her heart hammered in her chest as she accepted her daughter from Sirius. She cooed softly at the baby who ceased crying and opened her eyes to see what was going on. She whined quietly until she yawned loudly.

"Sometimes, they just want their mums." Sirius said with a shrug as he smiled at them.

"Thank you Sirius, I'll take her down with me." Hermione said. Sirius shrugged and told her that it was no problem. Hermione smiled before she headed back downstairs.

With Lyra asleep in her arms, Hermione collected the papers and dismissed the group for a break. Draco sat on the table beside the pile of papers, his eyes watching his sleeping daughter.

"You're a brilliant teacher." Draco said to her quietly, a warm smile upon his features. Hermione shook her head, she knew that the lesson didn't go too badly, but it wasn't the best either. "You need to believe in yourself, I for one am excited to continue with these lessons." He looked at her with a dopey grin on his face, Hermione couldn't help but return his smile as her heart fluttered and warmth spread through her. She leant forward and their lips met. Hermione kissed him gently, her eyes fluttered shut as she let the world fade out around her.

She was brought back to earth by her daughter who had started to stir in her arms. As she pulled away from Draco, blush rose to her cheeks. Draco lifted his thumb and slowly stroked her cheeks.

"I love it when you blush." He whispered which made Hermione's cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red.

* * *

"The next information leaflet you have is on what to dress like." Hermione started after she had gained everyone's attention away from her daughter who was currently asleep in Draco's arms. "Jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, trainers. These are the most common muggle clothing combinations so familiarise yourself with them. Clothing is certainly something that is judged in the muggle world and if you are not dressed properly you will stand out like a sore thumb. Muggles are very judgemental, they will notice if you look out of place and they will say something. This as you know, could be fatal to the mission." Hermione paused to give time to raise any questions they might have. Draco leant back in his chair as he shifted his daughter so she was lying on his chest. He loved watching Hermione take control and regain her position within the order. His heart swelled with pride as he watched her animatedly teach them about muggle clothing.

"As you are all aware, you will be acting as a group of friends who are in Birmingham for a stag do. I have here, all of your files on who you will be for the weekend." Hermione lifted her wand and soon the files were gliding in front of the people they were for. "Read through these files, and then on the paper provided please describe what you think your under cover character will be wearing. Include accessories, the more detail you can add the easier it will be to provide your outfits." Hermione addressed the group who instantly started reading through their files. Hermione approached Draco and accepted the baby from him so he could work on what she had assigned them to do. She watched as Draco read through his file, a small smile resting on his lips. He looked up at Hermione as leant against the table next to him. She bit her lip.

"So Alex is married is he?" He asked with a playful smile. Hermione smiled back at him.

"I didn't want anyone getting and idea that you were single." She whispered in reply. She leant forward and pecked his lips with her own. Draco moaned slightly when she pulled away. Hermione wiggled a finger at him.

"Not in class Mr Malfoy." She said with a teasing tone. Draco leant back in his chair with a pout on his lips. He flicked his eyes down to the bulge growing in his trousers.

"That's a shame Miss Granger." He teased with a wink. Blush raised to Hermione's cheeks. She pushed herself off of her desk a smile still on her lips. She could hear him chuckling as she walked away.

"They are so in love George, it makes me sick." Fred joked as Hermione walked past them. She used her free hand to playfully swat the back of his head.

"Ouch." He said as his hands flew to his head but he grinned at her as he looked over his shoulder so she knew she hadn't really hurt him.

"Over the course of the next few weeks, you guys will need to familiarise yourselves with the person you are going under cover as. You will need to know their back stories, their birthdays, what they do for a living etc." She spoke to the class as she circled the table. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she excused herself to place Lyra upstairs, since Draco gifted her the charmed bracelet, she was much happier to place Lyra in her crib and leave her knowing that the bracelet would alert her should she be needed. Once she had placed Lyra in her crib and charmed her mobile to slowly spin and play a lullaby, she returned to the kitchen to see on how the guys were doing with their current task.

* * *

"Muggle money works in pounds and pence." Hermione informs the group. On the table in front of her is a selection of muggle money. £20 note. £10 note. £5 note. £2 coin. £1 coin. 50 pence coin. 20 pence coin. 10 pence coin. 5 pence coin. 2 pence coin. 1 pence coin. She holds each one up for the group to see and explains their value one by one. She should have known that this would be the area that most of them would struggle with, that is why she had allotted the most time for this. She set the group up to role play purchasing goods in a shop, working out what money they needed to pay the cashier. By the end of the afternoon, most of the group had a basic grasp of the muggle money system. Tomorrow she would introduce them to the debit card. Each one of them would be given one with a certain amount of money, she was feeling positive as she closed today's lesson. It felt good for her to be actively a part of the order once more, she had been sat on the sidelines for far too long. Even if she wasn't out on the battle field, to know that she was crucial to the success of a mission gave her a sense of purpose again, something she had thought she had long lost.

She felt Draco's arms wrap around her waist from behind her as she was sorting out her leaflets. She smiled as she felt his lips tease the sensitive skin of her neck. She shivered as his breath tickled her as Draco playfully teased her. With a smile on her face she turned in his arms to face him and wrap her arms around his neck.

"Well Miss Granger, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed your lessons so far." Draco's voice was low and seductive. Hermione could listen to him talk forever.

"Thank you mister Malfoy." She said, she wasn't confident in her words, role play was something that was very new to her. Draco's lips were back on her neck, she tilted her head back as waves of excitement ran through her. As his lips found hers and his hands found their way to her arse, cupping the cheeks and pulling her into him, she lost all resolve. She hadn't felt ready to be intimate with him since Lyra's birth but as she felt his hardness press against her stomach and his tongue battled against hers, she knew she was ready. Draco broke the kiss swipe away the papers from the top of the table and lift her on to it. Their hands ran over each others bodies like they had never touched each other before. Both of them panted as she made quick work of his shirt buttons and ripped it over. The fact they were in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place did not even cross her mind as she revelled in the way his muscles twitched underneath her finger tips. Their lips met as they kissed with an urgent need.

"Lie back." He instructed breaking the kiss. Hermione sucked on her bottom lip as she did what he said. Draco licked his lips as his hands explored the skin underneath her shirt, he tugged on her jeans and she lifted her hips so her could remove them. He dropped them at his feet and then placed his hands on her thighs, he would never get over how smooth her skin felt beneath his finger tips, he pushed her legs apart so she was displayed in front of her. He bit down on his bottom lip as his eyes took in her beauty. His hand trailed down her stomach and down to her core, his cock throbbed when he felt the moisture between her legs. He'd never known someone to be able to get as wet as she did, he loved knowing that he had this power over her. She gasped as he slowly teased her clit, she was so sensitive to his touch that it didn't take long for her to be wriggling and moaning under his touch.

"Let go." He whispered to her as he felt her muscles constrict around his fingers that were pumping into her with force. A string of curse words left her mouth as her hips bucked to meet his fingers and she cried out her release. She flopped down against the table and tried to regain her breath, but Draco didn't give her the chance to relax. He gripped onto her hips and dragged to closer to the end of the table. She looked up at him with her wide eyes filled with lust, passion and need as he released his erection from his trousers and boxers, pushing them down just low enough for him to line up with her soaking entrance. This wasn't exactly how he had imagined their first time after Lyra's birth would be but he was trapped in the heat of the moment with a burning need to take his witch there and then.

"Are you sure?" He whispered to her as she propped herself up on her elbows. Hermione's eyes burned with lust and passion as she nodded quickly.

"Please Draco, I need this." She mewled. Draco did not need to be told twice and slowly pushed himself inside of her. He groaned as her walls tightened around him. His hands travelled to her hips and gripped onto to her smooth skin. He paused for a moment, their eyes connected as she adjusted to the penetration. Draco drank in the sight of her beneath him, breathless, flushed and sweaty, she had an effect on him that no one had ever had before. He loved her, mind, body, spirit and soul. She lifted her hands to his face and pulled his face towards hers. She captured his lips with her own as he leant forward and slowly started to pull out, she moaned into the kiss as he pulled all the way out and started a slow and teasing rhythm. Hermione tipped her head back and moaned loudly, she did not realise how much she had missed the feeling of him moving inside of her. As he picked up the pace she tilted her head back, the noises she made caused him to thrust faster until he was pounding her with all his might, both of them moaning and groaning as they quickly ascended to the highest high.

"Hermione, you are perfect." Draco whispered as he leaned forward, wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her chest to his. He could feel the pleasure start to spread through his body as every muscle tingled and he felt his balls tighten. He thrust into her with all of his might as he watched her head tilt back and he eyes close. Her moans were getting louder and he could feel her tightening up around him. He lowered his head to kiss and nibble at her neck and it didn't take long before she was crying out in ecstasy and convulsing in his arms. He continued to thrust into her as he felt his own climax approach. He called out her name as the feeling of euphoria washed over him and he came hard. He pulled out of her slowly and tucked himself back into his boxers and trousers. He smiled down at Hermione who had collapsed onto the table, her chest rose and fell dramatically as she came down from her high.

"Merlin, I've missed that." She breathed out as she sat up and accepted her knickers and jeans from Draco. She'd just finished collecting the papers that they had discarded on the floor when the bracelet on her arm warmed up alerting her to the fact that her daughter was waking. She kissed Draco quickly before she hurried upstairs to attend to their daughter.

Draco sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and smiled to himself as his eyes fell to the spot on the table where she had come undone beneath him.

"You better hope that mum doesn't find out what you two have just done in here. She would have a fit." Fred Weasley teased as he entered the kitchen. Draco looked up at him and smirked.

"I honestly don't care right now." Draco commented as he accepted a beer from his fellow Order member. Fred chuckled.

"That good eh?" He said as he sat down. Draco nodded, oh yes. She was that good.


	12. January 2004

**A/N: Hello, I am back and this story is pretty much finished so updates should be smooth. I would like to apologise for my absence, I have been very unwell and have been unable to write, or even think about writing however, I am much better now, better than ever honestly and so I am bringing this back. Read, Review and enjoy 3**

* * *

 **January 2004:**

"This is a mobile phone." Hermione addressed the room, she held a smallish hand held device in her hand. It had a small screen and lots of buttons. A lot of confused faces looked up at her. They'd had a small break for Christmas and the New Year but now they were all back to work. She smiled at Draco who was bouncing Lyra in his lap. She slapped her hands against the table as her face lit up in delight. "These devices are used by muggles to communicate with each other. Each one of you will be given a pre-loaded phone. So you will need to know how to use it. These will be your communication to each other and to the order when you are out in the muggle world." Hermione slowly instructed the squad on how to use a basic phone once she'd pulled her mind back to what she was supposed to be doing. She watched with pride as phones started ringing and beeping as they all got the hang of it relatively quickly. Hermione circled the room with Lyra in her arms, answering questions and showing people where they were going wrong. Lyra loved having a phone and spent most of the session with Hermione's in her mouth.

"Okay guys, keep your phones with you. Familiarise yourself because as you are aware, there is not long left now until you guys set off." Hermione closed the lesson. There was now only one lesson left before the guys would be heading off for the mission, the thought terrified Hermione as she watched Draco laugh with the twins. Lyra babbled in delight at the mobile phone in her hands as Hermione's thoughts moved to how much had changed since this time last year. Honestly, if someone had come up to her and told her that she would have a baby and re-find a position within the order she would have laughed in their face, but here she was with her daughter in her arms watching her boyfriend chat and joke with people he once swore he hated. She smiled to herself, her heart swelling with a feeling that even after all this time, she still struggled to describe.

"Are you okay Hermione?" Harry asked as he appeared next to her, an amused smile upon his face. Hermione shook her head slightly and looked to her best friend.

"Sorry, I was in my own little world then." Hermione apologised, her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink. Harry chuckled offered to take Lyra. Hermione happily handed her over, her arms were starting to ache as a result of carrying around her heffalump of a daughter.

"How are you feeling about the mission?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged his shoulders in between making funny faces at Lyra who giggled in delight and slapped her hands against his chin.

"I think that we've had the best teacher possible so the chances of success are high." Harry admitted, he turned his head to smirk at Hermione who shook her head. She was not good at accepting compliments and she didn't think she would ever be able to. She watched as Harry babbled to Lyra who was happily attempting to pinch his nose, then she scanned around the rest of the room, the room that contained most of the people that she loved the most. Her stomach churned as she thought about the risk that her friends and loved ones took every day as they fought for a better future. Her eyes finally rested on Draco and she was sure that she wanted to faint. She had never loved anyone the way she loved him, the fire he lit within her burned so bright that it allowed her happiness even in amongst all of the surrounding pain and suffering. She would be able to battle any war that was thrown at her as long as she had Draco by her side and their daughter in her arms. The thought of losing Draco shook her to her core. She desperately tried to block those thoughts from her head but sometimes they slipped through her barriers and consumed her, They spiralled in her head, round and round, she would always try to ignore the spiral, push it out of her head but most of the time her attempts were in vein and the spiral would just get tighter and tighter. The images of her without him circulated in her mind and she found herself slowly wandering off from Harry and out of the kitchen. She leant against the wall just outside of the door and let the tears fall. She folded her arms across her rib cage and held herself as the panic that had been slowly bubbling boiled over. The room started to spin and her hands started to shake. She could feel the sweat forming on her palms and her top lip. She couldn't catch her breath and even when she could take in air it felt like it was burning through her airways and causing a wild fire in her lungs. She clamped her eyes shut, her sobs shaking her shoulders as she slid down the wall. Why was this happening to her? What was happening to her?

* * *

Draco looked around the kitchen and frowned, he was sure that Hermione had been talking to Harry literally a second ago, he couldn't ignore the rising panic within him now Potter was standing alone with Lyra. He rose to his feet and mumbled that he would be right back, he just couldn't ignore the overwhelming feeling that something was wrong.

He didn't know how right he was until he walked out into the hallway and saw Hermione crumpled on the floor, gasping for breath through sobs that shook her body. Draco's heart leapt in his chest and instantly started hammering as he knelt down in front of her.

"Hermione. My love, you need to calm down okay?" He spoke with a calm tone of voice, soft, tender and full of love. He recognised instantly that she was having an anxiety attack. "My love, you need to listen to my voice, I know you can hear me okay? We're going to breathe together." He guided her through taking some deep breaths which quickly calmed both her breathing and her crying. Sensing that the immediate danger was over, Draco slowly reached out his hands and cupped her cheeks. "Look at me." He whispered softly. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and focused on his. "Are you okay?" Draco asked, concern radiating through him. Hermione was still breathing heavy but her eyes were focused on his. He loved the amber flecks in her hazel eyes, so unusual, so unique, and perfectly hers. Hermione nodded slowly, a small smile rising to her lips.

"I love you." She whispered and leant forward to wrap her arms around his neck and bury herself in his chest. He closed his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His heart finally starting to slow its beat knowing now that Hermione was okay.

"I love you, now let's get you upstairs and you can have a rest. I'm sure Lyra and I can entertain ourselves for a couple of hours." He suggested. Hermione straightened up and nodded. She gave no resistance as Draco helped her to her feet before scooping her up into his arms. She lightly wrapped her arms around his neck and leant her head against his as he carried her up to their bedroom.

Once she was safely tucked into bed, Draco left her in peace and returned to the kitchen. He gladly accepted Lyra from Harry and bid the people that were leaving goodbye before he and Lyra headed up to the fourth floor.

"It's just you and me for a little while pudding, so what shall we do?" Draco cooed to his daughter who was looking up at him with her eyes wide as he wandered around the fourth floor escape room. He waked over to the bookshelf and picked the first book he could reach before he settled down on the love seat with Lyra settled in the crook of one arm and his wand in the other hand, he charmed the book to float in his eye line. Lyra yawned and stretched her hand out to touch the side of Draco's face. Draco smiled down at her as his heart inflated inside of his chest. How something so small could take up so much room in his life, he would never understand it but he reluctantly turned his gaze to the book he knew that

"The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. By Lewis Carroll." Draco read out. "Oooh this is one of mummy's favourites." Draco cooed to his daughter who giggled at him and waved her arms around, Draco chuckled before he started to read.

* * *

Hermione awoke from her nap to darkness surrounding her. A panic rose within her. How long had she been asleep? Hours? Days? What time was it? She stumbled out of bed and whilst wiping sleep from her eyes. She stood in the middle of the bedroom and told herself to think slowly. The best place to start is the kitchen.

She went down to the kitchen only to find Harry, Ginny and the twins there. She asked them if they had seen Draco and Lyra but none of them had since they left earlier. She clocked that it had only been two hours since she fell asleep before she left the kitchen slightly confused as to the whereabouts of her boyfriend and daughter. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up for a moment before it hit her light a bludger. With a bubble of excitement in her chest, she raced up the stairs to the fourth floor where she finally found Draco and Lyra both asleep on the sofa.

Hermione smiled to herself as she looked at them both. Draco was stretched out across the sofa, his head rolling over the arm, with Lyra tucked into his arm, she looked to be half squished between him and the sofa but it looked incredibly comfortable. The love that was surfing through Hermione as she summoned her camera and snapped a shot of the sleeping father and daughter overwhelmed her as it often did. She couldn't believe how quickly a year could change your life.

Hermione was about to turn and leave when she heard Draco groan a little, she turned back around to see him rubbing the back of his neck with the arm that wasn't supporting Lyra.

"Morning." She greeted with a smile rising to her lips.

"Wait, it's morning?!" Draco asked as he slowly moved Lyra in his arms so he could sit up. He looked at Hermione with wide, panic filled eyes, until Hermione started laughing. He shook his head and glared at her before breaking in to an amused grin. Hermione went over and joined him on the sofa. She pecked his lips with her own. As she looked down at her daughter, still asleep in Draco's arms, she couldn't believe how blessed she was, the thought of disbelief often crossed her mind when she was in the presence of her daughter and her boyfriend.


	13. January 2004 Part Two

**January 2004 Part 2:**

Hermione watched as Draco double checked the duffel bag that contained his things for the extended weekend. She was sat cross legged in the middle of the bed with Lyra asleep in front of her. Nerves swirled in the pit of her stomach and she had felt nauseas all day. This mission was crucial to the cause and she knew that they were sending out the best people to achieve it but she couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that something was wrong, something didn't feel right.

"Please love, do not worry yourself." Draco spoke softly from his standing position at the end of the bed. She looked up at him. He was dressed in an emerald green shirt and black trousers and if she wasn't so terrified about never seeing him again, she would definitely ravish him. Draco rounded the bed so that he was standing in front of her. He took her hands into his own and raised them to his lips as he sunk down on to his knees. "I am not going to leave you. My job is pretty easy, I've just got to get drunk."He said with his usual smirk playing upon his lips. Hermione chuckled, Draco was right, he wasn't in as much danger as a couple of the other members of the group. All she knew was that Harry and Seamus were the ones that had the toughest mission, she wasn't even sure what they actually had to do, it was being kept a tightly guarded, need-to-know, secret.

"I love you."Hermione whispered tears threatening to form behind her eyelids. Draco cupped her head in his hands, he ran circles on her temples with his thumbs.

"I love you too, more than anything. I will be back in two nights time."He promised before he leant forward to place a tender kiss on her forehead. He crouched for a moment with his forehead against Hermione's. His eyes closed, just breathing in and out. Enjoying the moment with his girlfriend before he had to leave. Slowly and only after placing another soft kiss upon her forehead, he straightened his legs and bent over to scoop Lyra into his arms. She stirred but quickly settled against his chest. He kissed her head multiple times. Inhaling deeply, letting her scent wash over him, committing it to his memory. He hadn't spent longer than sixteen hours away from Lyra and Hermione since Lyra had been born and he would be lying if he said that was the part he was dreading the most, the separation from two of the only things he was certain he loved. He took one last deep breath before he handed his daughter to Hermione. It was only two nights, and he would be drunk for them both.

* * *

Draco followed Lee, Fred and George down to the tube station. He was at an advantage here because this wasn't the first time he had used Muggle transport. They each got themselves a ticket, they were chatting happily between the three of them, they were Jack, Alex, Zack and Rian. Four friends heading to a stag do. Draco was almost excited to be hitting the Muggle town. It had been a long time since he had properly gotten out and under his Muggle disguise, he hoped he would be able to let his hair down, to some extent, after all, he was technically on a mission, the fact that he was only there to make it look convincing was not a huge matter.

The tube journey was smooth and soon they had met up with Harry, Neville, Seamus and Dean, who were being addressed as Brad, Tristan, James and Connor.

"THERE HE IS!" Fred/Zack called out across the platform when he spotted his friends. Draco/Alex and George/Rian cheered and embraced Seamus/James who was acting as their stag for the weekend. The now full group made their way to their hotel, all of them with excitement and nerves swimming around them as they buzzed around preparing for the night ahead.

The boys hit the town on what the muggles call a pub crawl. They were to fit in but keep an eye out. Neville/Tristan and Harry/Brad were staying sober, the rest were instructed to fit in and to them that meant taking full advantage of the cheap booze available to them. Their aim was to survey the area, be on the look put for anything shady in the bars and pubs. However, that aim was soon forgotten by the drinkers as they delved in to life under cover.

"To Brad!" George/Rian bellowed over the pounding music of the nightclub they had ended up in. They had met a group of girls which had taken the interest of Fred/Zack and George/Rian. That meant that for the rest of the night, the stag party went where the girls did. Draco/Alex had added a wedding ring to his disguise, he wanted to get drunk and have fun but he also wanted it to be known that he was in a very happy and loving relationship. Hermione was all too happy to let him have a wedding ring when she found out that this was his plan.

The group toasted to Harry/Brad and took yet another shot. Draco felt like his whole body was buzzing. He jumped up and down to the music on the dance floor, his arms waving madly above his head. The lights blurred in his vision as the ceiling rotated above him. Despite being under cover and in potentially a very dangerous position, he hadn't felt this free in years. The stress and worries of being a soldier of war, a young parent of a daughter who is to kept a well kept secret or else they could all die, everything like that were miles away from him as he bounced to the beat of the music repeatedly whilst making whooping sounds.

As the night drew to a close, the stag party found themselves mostly staggering back to their designated hotel.

Draco fumbled around to pull his phone out of his pocket. He looked at it for a few moments desperately trying to get his mind to remember what Hermione had told him do to.

"Aha!" He exclaimed out loud as the information came back to his and he held down the number 1. He held the phone to his ear and waited.

"Hello you." Hermione's voice washed over him. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he stumbled down the road trying to catch up with his group.

"Hello love!" He shouted down the mobile device making the young couple he was walking past jump out of their skins.

"You don't have to shout, just speak normally." Hermione's voice instructed him. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and tried to picture her being with him.

"Oof!" He grunted as he collided with a lamp post. "Oops." He said with a giggle as the group turned around and erupted into laughter as they worked out what he had just done.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, her tone one of concern.

"Yes my love, just a stupid lamppost is all." He said, at a normal volume this time. "How are you?" He asked, a smile rising to his lips.

"Yeah, I'm okay. How are you?" She asked. Draco chuckled.

"I am on top of the world my love. I am squishy and melty and just simply wonderful." Draco told her dramatically. His free arm gesturing animatedly as he spoke.

"How much have you had to drink?" Hermione asked. Draco made a shhh sound.

"I don't know, maybe a few or a little more but shhh let's not talk about that. Let's talk about how desirable your voice sounds on the phone." Draco suggested, his tone dropping seductively as he felt himself start to harden.

"No, we are not going to talk about that." Hermione said, clearly unamused.

"You know, chastising me doesn't work, it actually turns me on even faster." Draco slurred into the phone. Hermione spluttered in shock. She wasn't a prude per say, her and Draco got up to plenty of daring things in the bedroom and a daughter to prove it but it was one thing doing it, a completely other thing talking about it.

"Behave yourself." Hermione warned. Draco chuckled a warmth spreading through him.

"What happens if I don't?" Draco asked in a teasing tone, he was testing the waters.

"Goodnight. I love you." Hermione said to him with a slight sigh in her voice, ignoring his comment.

"I love you too but come on, tell me what will happen if I don't behave?" He asked. He knew he was pushing his luck but his drunk mind didn't care. His drunk mind was horny as hell and wanted nothing more than to apparate back to Grimmuald Place and take his gorgeous girlfriend there and then.

"Goodnight." Hermione said again. Draco was about to reply when the line went dead. He huffed to himself as he held the phone in his hand and jogged in a wonky line to catch up with the rest of the group.

"She hung up on me." He told them. They all laughed. Fred/Rian clapped him on the shoulder.

"Unlucky mate, maybe tomorrow eh?" He said with a wink. Draco huffed as they continued their walk to their hotel for the night.


End file.
